Chapter 218 : Half-Finished Grand Art (2)

Chapter 218: Half-Finished Grand Art (2)

Jeon Yeong responded with a troubled look.

"Your words are appreciated, but how could someone like me dare to make such a request to the experts of the Tang Clan?"

"I’ll be the one to ask. You must absolutely not let Mother go outside."

In his past life, Jeon Yeong had fallen into deep despair and lived like a wreck after his mother, who was on her way to her maternal family, passed away from illness.

As a result, Jeon Yeong—who could be considered a core force among the younger ranks of Hoi Unkyung's camp—had withdrawn, creating a vacuum that Hoi Soyu used to absorb those younger forces.

Currently, the young escorts, who had reached their thirties, revered Jeon Yeong—who had become one of the three Head Escorts—as a role model.

"Escort Chief Do also places great trust in Young Master Yong. He’s even said that only Young Master Yong is our hope now. The young lady needs to awaken soon. I’m worried that the Second Young Lady is absorbing all the members of the trading company."

"If just the two of you hold your ground, the Vice Chairman will restore the Sky Ocean Merchant Union to its rightful place."

"Please. I truly liked the Sky Ocean Merchant Union when we were all like family."

"I understand."

Jeon Yeong clasped his hands in a respectful po-kwon and departed.

He was a loyal young man—just watching him warmed the heart.

After sending Jeon Yeong away and waiting about two hours, a woman emerged with a security escort.

At a glance, it was clear that she was Bukri Sehee.

As Bukri Sehee drew nearer, Yong Hwarin felt a pleasant sensation.

It was a warmth like a spring breeze blowing in.

"Hello, Young Master Yong. I heard you called for me."

Yong Hwarin forgot his current predicament for a moment, smiling warmly as he gazed softly at Bukri Sehee.

It was the kind of look an elder brother might give his adorable youngest sister.

Bukri Sehee, seemingly flustered by the look in his eyes, lowered her head slightly and spoke.

"What business do you have with me?"

As she added a bit of firmness to her tone, Yong Hwarin realized his posture and gave an awkward laugh.

"Hahaha, I suddenly remembered Sogun and ended up being rude."

He looked around at the small, neatly arranged garden nearby and said,

"Would you take a short walk with me?"

"Certainly."

Her modest tone and manners brought a gentle smile to Yong Hwarin’s face.

'What a relief. After seeing Sogun, I thought the siblings must be in a really tough situation. But seeing her this bright, I feel like I don’t need to worry too much about him either.'

Thinking that, he started walking toward the garden.

As late autumn approached, the trees in the garden were shedding their crisp leaves baked under the autumn sun, adding a touch of elegance.

"I heard quite a bit about you from Sogun. He kept boasting about how beautiful you are."

At those words, Bukri Sehee’s cheeks turned a rosy red.

"That child is a bit immature."

"No. Sogun never tells lies."

At Yong Hwarin’s words, Bukri Sehee glanced sideways at him.

"Thank you. Sogun also had a lot to say about you, Young Master Yong."

"Really? Then did he also tell you that he promised to introduce me to his older sister?"

When Yong Hwarin spoke so bluntly, Bukri Sehee covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Hohoho, yes."

"And what did you say to that?"

"I said I would meet you once."

“From what you’ve seen, what do you think?”

When Yong Hwarin spoke without a trace of embarrassment, Bukri Sehee responded.

“Sogun said this. That Young Master Yong is a little shameless, a little sly, and even looks like an old man sometimes. But more than anything, she said you’re the most trustworthy person.”

“Hahaha, turns out Sogun’s been badmouthing me behind my back. I’ll have to scold her next time I see her.”

As he continued speaking, Yong Hwarin’s expression turned serious.

“But… is Sogun doing well?”

Bukri Sehee could tell that everything until now—his warmth, his mood—was all meant to lead up to this question.

The way he stared straight into her eyes made her feel as if he could see through her, which made her uncomfortable.

She averted her eyes slightly and answered.

“Of course. He’s doing well.”

At that moment, Yong Hwarin spoke.

“Look into my eyes.”

Feeling that she shouldn’t disobey, Bukri Sehee instinctively turned her head and met Yong Hwarin’s gaze.

After staring intently at her for a while, Yong Hwarin relaxed his expression and said,

“It really does seem like Sogun is doing well.”

Yong Hwarin couldn’t find any signs of anxiety or lies in Bukri Sehee’s eyes.

“If Sogun ever needs help, please let me know at any time.”

As he said that, Bukri Sehee paused, then murmured,

“Then… can you truly embrace that child? Not just pretend to help, but truly make him safe?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yong Hwarin fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

“If Sogun wishes it.”

Bukri Sehee broke into a radiant smile.

“Thank you. Just hearing that… really, thank you.”

For the first time, Yong Hwarin saw her genuine smile.

It was like a flower blooming in full.

Looking at her that way warmed his heart and made him smile as well.

“Tonight, Sogun might come. If she sneaks into your quarters, please don’t be surprised.”

“Is that so? From what I’ve seen, she seems rather restricted in what she can do.”

Yong Hwarin said, thinking of Bukri Sogun.

“No. Because I’m here, it’ll be fine. If Sogun says he wants to go to you and I give permission, it’ll be okay.”

“Ah, I see. Wouldn’t it be better if I visited instead?”

At those words, Bukri Sehee shook her head firmly.

“No. You don’t need to visit. Sogun will come. If you try to visit, it might be hard to meet him.”

Thinking there must be some reason, Yong Hwarin didn’t ask further.

“Understood. There are likely people who wouldn’t like Bukri Sojeo staying with me for too long. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“So soon?”

Then suddenly, Bukri Sehee opened up her heart.

“Hahaha, I’d love to continue exchanging kind words with a beauty, but I’ll leave for the sake of you and Sogun. Don’t be too disappointed.”

Bukri Sehee seemed a little regretful.

But she soon composed herself and spoke calmly to Yong Hwarin.

“Please take care. Also… recently, it seems Hoi Soyu’s side is plotting something. Be careful.”

“Hahaha, is it alright to leak such information to the enemy?”

“Someone Sogun treats like an older brother is like an orabeoni to me too.”

Bukri Sehee, blushing deeply, finally managed to speak those words, bowed, and quickly walked away.

Even after she disappeared completely from view, Yong Hwarin was still thinking about what she said.

“Plotting something?”

Yong Hwarin had already anticipated this ever since Hoi Soyu began pulling in the Sword Poison Sect and the Bukri Clan.

Now, he sensed that Hoi Soyu’s side was about to make a decisive move.

Meanwhile, as Bukri Sehee walked, she glanced back.

Seeing Yong Hwarin lost in thought over new information, she murmured,

“Still the same.”

She looked at Yong Hwarin with longing.

Bukri Sehee had hoped Yong Hwarin would look at her with the gaze he reserved for beauties, but he had never once looked at her with that sort of gaze.

To a woman, that was something that bruised pride.

When a beauty does not receive the kind of gaze she believes she deserves, it leaves the same bitter feeling as being denied a gift she was meant to receive.

“Well… with so many beauties around him, I suppose he’s grown immune.”

With a warm smile, Bukri Sehee’s expression turned icy the moment she saw Bukri Sogun approaching from afar.

Yong Hwarin stood before the grain storage, lost in thought.

Though the Sky Ocean Merchant Union had multiple grain warehouses, the one that used to be a library was the most isolated, located on the far right side.

“What's going on here?”

The Chief Administrator of the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, Wang Mu, asked from behind.

Standing next to Wang Mu was Yeogong, the head of the Sky Ocean Escort Agency.

The Sky Ocean Escort Agency was operated separately from the trading company, and Yeogong, who was nearing his sixtieth year, served as its head.

He was a skilled master known by the alias Cheongsongcheonpil, who gained fame wielding a pair of Judge’s Pens.

However, Yong Hwarin did not have much fondness for this man.

In his past life, when Hoi Unkyung tried to hand over the position of Vice Head of the Escort Agency to Yong Hwarin, Yeogong attempted to have him assassinated from the shadows.

Upon learning that, Yong Hwarin grew enraged and instead hired an assassin to eliminate Yeogong.

Because of this entangled grudge, he felt no warmth toward him.

“Ah, I was just walking without thinking and ended up here. But what’s going on?”

Seeing all the grain being removed from the grain storage, Yong Hwarin asked.

“There’s a place to dispose of all this grain, so we’re taking it out,” Wang Mu replied indifferently.

Around late autumn, there were quite a few places that purchased grain in bulk to prepare for winter.

The Sky Ocean Merchant Union stored up grain for such times and sold it at a high price.

As Yong Hwarin watched them unload all the grain from the grain storage that used to be the library, he thought to himself,

‘Could it be that these people also know about Hoi Eulshin’s will and are taking the grain because of that?’

That suspicion made him wary of them removing the grain from the warehouse.

“If they’re buying in such quantities, is it a major sect?”

He asked casually, but Wang Mu merely glanced at him without replying.

His expression said, ‘You ask about everything.’

Wang Mu was completely aligned with the Geumwon Council and firmly within Hoi Soyu’s camp, with no intention of providing Yong Hwarin any information.

But Yeogong, it seemed, couldn’t hold his tongue.

Yeogong had a rather aggressive nature and was one of those who wanted Yong Hwarin expelled from the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, thinking he was interfering with their operations.

Thinking it was the perfect chance to break his spirit, Yeogong opened his mouth.

“Not sure if you know… but you’ll be quite surprised. If you learn we’re tied to that place as well, even you, Young Master Yong, might hesitate to…”

Just as Yeogong was about to speak, Wang Mu interrupted in a firm tone.

“Head of the Agency, shall we get going?”

Seeing Wang Mu’s expression, Yeogong closed his mouth, throwing him a dissatisfied look.

Yong Hwarin thought Wang Mu was showing off for no reason and cursed him inwardly.

‘He was an unlucky bastard in my past life, and he’s no different now.’

Yong Hwarin backed off while watching the workers carry grain from the warehouse.

At that moment, he faintly heard Yeogong grumbling at Wang Mu. Yong Hwarin channeled all his energy of the Three Gaps outward and synchronized with Nature’s Energy.

As a result, his senses extended outward, reaching a full ten jang.

Thanks to that, his hearing sharpened, and the distant voices of the two trickled into his ears along the flow of energy.

“Come on, Chief Administrator Wang, what’s the harm in telling that bastard? I actually thought it’d be better to let him know how vast our influence is.”

Wang Mu replied flatly.

“Head of the Agency, what good comes from exposing our forces to the enemy? And that man is extremely dangerous. The more dangerous he is, the more we must conceal our strength.”

“Tch, I was curious to see how his face would change if I told him we were handing over the grain to the Weiji Clan, and that they were giving their support to Miss Hoi Soyu.”

Hearing that, Yong Hwarin let out a faint laugh.

“Drawing in the Weiji Clan’s strength? What a joke. Those people have been buying grain from the Sky Ocean Merchant Union every year, even in the past.”

Yong Hwarin regretted using his Protective Energy just to hear such trivial words.

Thinking that, he continued walking—until he suddenly came to a stop.

“Wait!”

A forgotten incident from his past life suddenly resurfaced.