To be honest, since the story unfolded in an unexpected direction, I stared blankly at Wang Hyeon-seong, and Wang Hyeon-seong, shrugging his shoulders and smiling broadly, said to , "When you live as a rchant, you experience many things like this and that. Although we can't sense killing intent like you martial artists, we still have a rchant's intuition."
"And with that intuition, you realized that they wouldn't attack us?"
"Yes. Usually, when bandits attack, they don't follow us from behind, making a loud noise like that. They usually take a position in the area they want first, and then attack from all sides at once to make us unable to move."
After hearing that, I realized that they had just been following us on horseback from behind.
Perhaps they had heard the news that we had passed by and had been following us diligently.
"Then would you mind waiting for a mont?"
He gave a slight smile and approached the bandits.
The one who seed to be the highest in rank among them was still kneeling, and his motionless appearance seed to indirectly teach how desperate he was.
"You said you need dicine? Are you seriously injured?"
"Yes... he is seriously injured."
"Then you should go to a doctor, why did you co to ? Although I have dicine, this dicine is only for first aid, it cannot be a fundantal cure."
"That's... we're not in a situation where we can go to a doctor right now."
"Why? Is it that difficult to move? Then it's even more of a problem...? The dicine I have is just a slightly effective dicine, it's not a mysterious dicine that can save a dying person. It would be better if you don't have too high expectations."
"B-but... I really ca here with the feeling of grasping at straws. Please give the dicine...!"
He said with a very desperate expression.
To be honest, his attitude was unexpected.
Because such loyalty was not sothing that could be easily found among bandits.
But there were a few things that bothered in his words.
It seed Wang Hyeon-seong was the sa, as he imdiately opened his mouth to the bandit.
"But how did your leader get so seriously injured?"
"That's..."
"By any chance, did he get injured while robbing soone? If you're asking to treat a wound that was sustained for such a reason, in the end, you're asking to do sothing that will increase the risk in my buying and selling of goods... Why should I do that?"
"That's..."
"Tell the truth. Did it happen while trying to harm others?"
He, as if it were true that he had been injured while robbing another rchant guild, flinched for a mont and then opened his mouth.
"That's... right. You're right."
"Did he really get so seriously injured during a robbery?"
"Yes... a few days ago, we heard that the goods that the Cheonhwa rchant Guild was carrying were small and valuable, so we tried to take them. But in conclusion, we failed. The martial arts of one of the escorts were so outstanding that many of our brothers were defeated by him. In the end, we couldn't even take the goods and retreated... More than ten brothers lost their lives on the spot, and even our leader is dying from the injuries he sustained then."
"As I thought."
When Wang Hyeon-seong nodded his head and said, the man, stealthily glancing at him, said, "I ca here with the feeling of grasping at straws, so couldn't you please show rcy?"
"Hmm..."
Wang Hyeon-seong, as if he were contemplating sothing for a mont, opened his mouth again.
"Alright. I don't know if this will be helpful, but I will give you the dicine for now."
"Thank you so much...! I will not forget this kindness."
"Wait."
"......?"
"But I didn't say I would just give it to you. Of course, you must have known when you ca, but I am a rchant. A rchant never just gives away even a small item. It ans that everything is ultimately done through a transaction."
"A transaction! Of course, I have also prepared money. It will be at least fifty silver coins. I will give you everything."
Wang Hyeon-seong shook his head with a firm expression.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not helping you in the hope of getting money. It may sound arrogant, but fifty silver coins are just a pittance to , whether I have them or not."
"A pittance... then is there sothing you want? Ah...! If you help us this ti, we will never touch the goods of the Eungnam rchant Guild in the future."
"Is that all the condition is? To be honest, we're not being attacked even now."
"Keung..."
The bandit let out a groan.
The condition he had offered was actually a useless condition.
"Then is there anything you want...?"
He asked in a dazed voice.
But Wang Hyeon-seong, as if he had been waiting, gave a faint smile and answered imdiately.
"There is just one thing. It's uncertain whether you will accept the condition."
"What condition is it...?"
"If you agree to accept the condition, not only will I give you the dicine, but I will also arrange for the most skilled doctor in this area to go and examine him."
The bandit's eyes beca as big as fists, and he hurriedly said to Wang Hyeon-seong, "I will accept any condition! If only I can save my leader."
"A good mindset. If I tell you my condition... it is to liquidate your life in these mountains and co into our Eungnam rchant Guild."
"Yes...?!"
"Do I have to say it again? I said co into the Eungnam rchant Guild. Our rchant guild needs a lot of people right now. It might sound bad if I say it like this, but we have to protect our goods from people like you."
Wang Hyeon-seong, as if the words he had just said were a joke, let out a chuckle by himself.
But the bandit, as if he still didn't understand properly, couldn't even laugh and was just looking at Wang Hyeon-seong.
"Can't you decide? Then I can't help it... Then I can't give you the dicine."
"....... I will. No, I will! I will enter the rchant guild. So please give the dicine...!"
The bandit's tone had changed to honorifics at so point.
"You've thought well. Take this first."
Wang Hyeon-seong took sothing out of his luggage and approached the bandit.
And then he helped him, who was still kneeling, to stand up and put the item he had just taken out in his hand.
It seed to be the Eungnam rchant Guild's golden wound dicine that he had been looking for so eagerly.
"Tell where I should send the doctor."
"That's, there's our hideout in the corner of the plain behind there..."
"Draw a detailed map. So that I can send soone, right?"
He wrote down the way to their hideout in detail on the paper that Wang Hyeon-seong had taken out of his bosom.
Wang Hyeon-seong folded it carefully and put it in his bosom, and then said, "When we arrive at a nearby village, I will imdiately send a letter and send a skilled doctor. And as soon as your leader recovers, everyone should co to the Eungnam rchant Guild in Hubei Province."
"Yes. I understand!"
"Then go back quickly. Don't you want to give him that dicine as soon as possible?"
"I'll be on my way. I will never forget this kindness...!"
"Hehe. You can repay that kindness by becoming a mber of the Eungnam rchant Guild and working hard. And I will also set a generous salary, so don't worry about that."
"Huk... you're even giving a salary? I thought I would have to work for free, of course..."
"How can I make you work without giving you a salary? I want you to work for our rchant guild for a long, long ti in the future."
At Wang Hyeon-seong's gentle voice, the bandit's eyes welled up with tears.
Perhaps he had never received such kindness a few tis in his life.
He thanked Wang Hyeon-seong several tis and eventually left to give the dicine to his leader.
The rough sound of horse hooves once again kicked up dust and gradually grew more distant.
"There was a little incident, but it was resolved easily. Let's all get going now."
We began to move towards Sichuan again, and I, walking side by side with him, said to him, "You're amazing. If it were , I would have drawn my sword right away without even thinking of listening to their story... And even if I had known, I don't think I would have been able to trust them completely."
"Hehehe... I would have been like that in the past too. But as I ran the rchant guild for a long ti, I was able to realize two things."
"May I ask what you have realized?"
"Of course. First, if you fight with an opponent, you make an enemy, but if you win them over, they beco your side. This might sound like a very obvious thing... but if you make soone who was about to beco your enemy your side, it's like getting a double effect."
I felt like I knew what he was trying to say.
If you make an enemy and kill that enemy, in the end, you have nothing, but if you make soone who was about to beco an enemy your side, you are in a situation where you gain an advantage.
"And the second is... most bandits did not beco bandits because their humanity was vicious."
"Ah... I see."
"Because they had no way to make a living... most people start banditry because of their resentnt for being taken advantage of by others. Of course, there are so among them who really like to harm others and beco bandits because banditry suits their aptitude... but isn't it a rchant's intuition to distinguish that well?"
Since Wang Hyeon-seong, who must have suffered more damage from bandits than until now, said that, sothing touched my heart.
In particular, in a situation where he could have hated bandits unconditionally, he showed a side of extending his hand to him first.
Looking at that, I couldn't help but think of the Demonic Cult bastards and my situation.
'Will a day co when I also extend my hand to them first?'
But to be honest, I can't picture that scene in my head at all yet.
Co to think of it, it's because they are not being pushed and pushed to invade the Central Plains, but are invading to achieve their own purpose of the Demonic Cult's world.
'But... I might be able to talk to so of them...?'
I don't know why the obnoxious face of the Demonic Fire Hall Master suddenly flashed through my mind.
Although he is also an unavoidable Demonic Cult mber, and a person who is always self-willed, it seems it's because he keeps his promises to so extent and is also open to conversation.
"Manager-nim. I learn a lot thanks to you."
I said, bowing my head to him sincerely, and Wang Hyeon-seong waved his hands, saying he was embarrassed.
However, my bow was sincere.
Not just eliminating an enemy, but making them my side.
Because in fact, it was a way of thinking that I would not have easily thought of if it were the of the past.
Of course, distinguishing between real villains and people who do bad things unavoidably is sothing I will have to work on in the future.
"It's not that I make an offer to all bandits to join the rchant guild. But, if I can save those who can be saved, wouldn't that alone be one of the rewards of living in this Central Plains?"
"You are right."
We got closer and closer to Sichuan like that, and in the anti, I felt proud because I felt that I was learning so much.
(End of Chapter)
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