Finding the Righteous Fortune Merchant Guild wasn't difficult. I went into every cloth shop and apothecary lining the street and asked, and they all pointed to the same place. The building they showed me was not a merchant guild, but a broker's office.
As I stepped inside, a broker in his mid-forties named Oh-seong greeted me warmly. He was a short man with a slight build and no beard on his face, looking just like a eunuch.
“The Righteous Fortune Merchant Guild? Yes, I know of it.”
“You do?”
“They did business in this very spot until five years ago.”
“Then what about now?”
“They went bankrupt.”
Oh-seong studied my face, which had hardened in an instant, and continued cautiously.
“The guild master set out on a trade journey and was killed by bandits, so his children divided the inheritance and left the Western Village." "I took over the shop then and have been working as a broker ever since.”
“Do you also know a broker by the name of Yeon Jin-won or Yeon Jin-hyeon?”
Oh-seong scratched his chin and shook his head.
“Well now… I’ve never heard of such names. I suppose they must have quit and left a long time ago.”
Oh-seong also confirmed the piece of cloth I had torn from the gate of Sister Soso's house.
“That’s right, it was posted by the Righteous Fortune Merchant Guild that was here. Where did you see it?”
When I described the location, Oh-seong recognized it immediately.
“Ah, you mean that house. It’s a proper tile-roofed house, a rare sight in this neighborhood.”
“Do you happen to know where the people who lived there went?”
“I do not. They said they left because they couldn't endure the famine, so perhaps they went to a large city nearby?”
“Is that house for sale too?”
“Of course.”
“How much is it?”
“One moment, Hero. Let me check the ledger.”
Oh-seong took a thick ledger from a shelf and opened it.
“Ah, here it is. The current market price is 5 silver taels. It’s listed cheap. For a house of that size, this price is…”
“Why is a dilapidated ruin on the verge of collapse worth 5 whole silver taels?”
I scowled and questioned him in a low, informal tone. I also slyly shifted the long blade at my back to my side. He looked older than me, so I’d been speaking to him with respect, but how dare he try to rip me off.
My face is plain, not particularly handsome, but I have spent my youth living by the sword. I know all too well that the best medicine for scoundrels who see my youth and try to pull a fast one is a fist. As I openly growled, Oh-seong flinched and hastily offered an excuse.
“Goodness, Hero. Please calm yourself and hear me out! The owner of that house is an official living in Chengdu. When the escort agency came to this town and things were bustling, he bought it with an eye on the future." "It should have been at least 20 silver taels, but the price dropped quite a bit because transactions were slow. There were a few inquiries about purchasing it, but he flatly refused any offer below 5 silver taels.”
I stared silently at the broker as he rattled on with a long-winded story about why he couldn’t reduce the price by a single coin, then I walked out. Buying something at the very first shop you visit is a shortcut to getting swindled. I sought out other brokers.
I could easily find a decent vacant house for sale. Prices ranged from 10 to 200 silver taels for purchase, and half a tael to 3 taels for monthly rent. The brokers suggested we go see the houses first, but I turned away immediately.
No matter how much the population had grown, the housing prices were absurd. Oh-seong’s office was the only one that had listed Sister Soso’s house for sale. Should I just sneak in and live there?
Seeing as it’s been left as an abandoned ruin with no one living there until now, it seems unlikely anyone will come looking for it in the future. The problem is the off chance that the house gets sold.
If the owner really is an official, or if the person who buys the house has powerful backing, I can’t just stubbornly hold my ground. If I were to draw my sword there, I could become a fugitive and have to turn my back on my hometown forever.
If I could completely prevent such a risk with 5 silver taels, it wasn’t a bad deal. My entire fortune consisted of 17 silver taels and 70 coins. This year marks the eighth year since I started eating by the sword.
You might think that’s too little money to have saved, but that’s just how this world is. For wandering swordsmen to diligently save money and retire was as difficult as a gambler hitting the jackpot and washing his hands of it all. Doing rough work meant getting hurt here and there, so the cost of medicine was endless.
Fighting for your life meant your sword often got nicked or chipped. If your sword broke, you had to bite the bullet and buy a new one. If you didn’t want to die in vain from a stray blade or a hidden weapon flying at you from behind, you had to wear something under your clothes.
I couldn’t even dream of expensive chain armor, but I had to at least wear a leather vest made of pigskin. Those who haven’t lived it wouldn’t know. There are just so many expenses when you live as a swordsman.
Still, compared to other wandering swordsmen who squandered their money on drink and gambling as if there were no tomorrow, I had saved quite diligently. Even after paying 5 silver taels for the house, if I live frugally, I can get by for about two more years.
There are brothels and an escort agency here, so I should be able to find work somehow after the money runs out. After fortifying my resolve while quenching my thirst at a roadside teahouse, I went back to Oh-seong’s office. When I said I would buy the house, Oh-seong’s face lit up and he made a great fuss.
“A wise choice, Hero. That house may be in a bit of a remote location, but it’s not a bad place to live. Even if a mountain beast comes down, for someone of your martial skill, it would be nothing more than a side dish for dinner. Let’s sign the contract tomorrow. I’ll have all the documents ready.”
I returned to the inn while looking around the streets. When I went up to my room, there was a wooden bathtub. The waiter immediately filled it with bathwater.
I leisurely relaxed my body in the hot water, washed myself clean, and then had a drink. Before the alcohol could take hold, I blocked the door with the table. I placed the long blade within arm’s reach and went to bed.
I had made such an effort to return to my hometown, yet sleeping in an inn left me feeling restless. I resolved to sign the contract no matter what tomorrow and begin repairing Sister Soso’s house. * When I met Oh-seong again the next afternoon, he abruptly told me that we couldn't sign the contract here.
“You want to go to the authorities?”
As I glared at him with menacing eyes, Oh-seong flinched and explained the situation.
“We need to check the registry and get it notarized by the officials. All transactions of houses and land are handled at the government office.”
“Registry?”
It was a word I had never heard in my life. Is it the name of a hidden weapon I don't know? Or a popular orthodox sect in this town?
Like a true martial artist, my thoughts naturally drifted in that direction. That can’t be right. I frowned and shook my head inwardly.
Then again, if I were to ask what it was, he might look down on me as a clueless fool. In times like these, the best thing to do was just cross my arms and stare intently. Perhaps because he had dealt with his fair share of martial artists, Oh-seong was quick on the uptake.
“As you are well aware, Hero, a registry is the official record in which the government registers the owners of houses or land. The authorities formally recognize the ownership.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious? They need to know who lives where and how many people there are to levy taxes, don't they? And to assign military service as well.”
For a moment, I was dumbfounded. Living as a wandering martial artist, I had forgotten. That the main job of officials was to empty the storehouses of the common people.
So, if my name went on the registry as the homeowner, I would be subject to military service and taxes. Since the previous emperor pacified the northern regions, military service had long been replaced by a payment in silver taels. So, the taxes I would have to pay to the authorities would increase a little.
I had come here with the intention of settling down, but the thought of having my money extorted by the authorities made my head spin. Steeling my wavering heart, I mentioned a part that would surely be a problem if we went to the authorities.
“I don’t have a household tag.”
“What? Ah, that’s fine. You can just get a new one issued while you’re at it.”
“It’s not free, is it?”
“Of course not. It’s done by the authorities. You have to pay a small fee.”
“How much?”
“One silver tael would…”
As I glared at him, Oh-seong’s voice trailed off and he swallowed dryly.
“...is too much. I will try to boldly negotiate a price of 600 coins for everything, including the housing transaction and the issuance of the household tag.”
“What about the broker’s fee?”
“For that, you really must give me at least half a silver tael…”
“100 coins.”
“What?”
“100 coins.”
“Goodness, I can’t do that, Hero…”
Oh-seong put on a tearful face and began to whine. I crossed my arms with a cold expression and kept my mouth shut. As I stared at him without budging, the answer I wanted finally came out.
It seemed my message that if he tried to rip me off, his corpse would never be found anywhere in the Central Plains had been well received.
“…Alright, just this once. Phew, if I do this, there’s no profit left for me… Goodness, I don’t know if I’ll even be able to pay the rent for the shop this month…”
He seemed to be trying to evoke my sympathy and make me feel sorry for him, but it was no use. I have never seen a merchant in this world who doesn't take a cut. On the contrary, guys who seem weak-willed like him often pocketed more behind your back.
Of the 600 coins paid to the authorities, a certain amount would surely end up in this broker's pocket. And after selling the house, there was also the commission he would receive from the owner. When you think about it, this was all thanks to me, who was buying an unsold, neglected ruin for 5 whole silver taels.
He should be grateful I was even giving him 100 coins, when I should be the one receiving a reward. And so, I ended up at the authorities’ office, a place I wanted to enter as much as a privy where an assassin might be hiding. The damn authorities’ office was the same as in any other city.
From the grunts guarding the door, they openly demanded bribes. As I stood there with my hands behind my back, Oh-seong quickly took out a few coins. The official in charge of the registry was a sly-looking middle-aged man who suited his goatee well.
“It has been a while, sir.”
“Hmph, yes. What is it?”
“We are here regarding a house sale.”
Oh-seong stated his business and handed over the power of attorney he had received from the owner. The official scanned the document with a sullen face. Only when a small pouch deftly found its way into his hand did a satisfied smile spread across his face.
Tucking the pouch into his robes as if it were nothing, the official asked.
“Ahem, a house sale, you say? I will bring the registry, wait a moment.”
After the official had completely disappeared into the archives, I unknowingly muttered under my breath.
“All the thieves in the country are gathered here.”
“The salaries of low-ranking officials are meager, are they not? They must take bribes if they want to put meat soup on the family table even once.”
I expected him to agree with me, but Oh-seong defended the official as if he understood. When I looked at him, Oh-seong grinned slyly and bantered.
“Hehe, so that I might buy some meat on my way home, please give me a handsome broker’s fee, Hero.”
In his manner of kowtowing and flattering me, someone young enough to be his son, I could keenly feel the sorrow of a common man struggling to make a living. No matter where you are or what you do, making a living is such a wretched affair.
I didn't know if he had children, but I hoped he was a good son. It would be quite sad if he brought home money earned with such difficulty only to be treated like an outcast. The official returned with a thick ledger and set it down on the table.
So much dry dust flew off it, a testament to how long it had been tucked away. He flipped through the pages and then pointed to one spot with his finger.
“Here it is. You just need to affix your seal here.”
“May I read it?”
“You can read?”
“I have finished the Thousand Character Classic.”
“Hoh, impressive. Very impressive. Are you perhaps from a fallen orthodox sect?”
As I began to read the characters written in the ledger, the broker also looked at me with wonder. He looked more surprised than when he had first seen the sword at my waist. Well, it was understandable.
When it comes to martial artists, illiteracy is the standard. Receiving their admiring gazes, I felt my shoulders straighten for some reason. The original owner of the house listed in the registry was Sister Soso's father.
After several sales, the current owner was Gwang Jik-hyeon, who lived in Chengdu. The name was identical to the one on the power of attorney Oh-seong had brought. I handed over the money and purchased the house under the watchful eye of the official.
Once the signatures and seals were complete, my name was entered as the current owner. For the first time in my life, I also had a household tag made. A small wooden tablet with my three-character name on the front, and my home address and physical description on the back.
Just because something like this exists doesn't mean it can tie a martial artist to one place. I could just burn it and leave at any time. I had never seen a swordsman who carried a household tag.
No matter how many corpses you searched after a bloody battle, you would only find silver taels or coins, daggers, poison, wound salves, sensual paintings, and the like; never a household tag. The only time not having a household tag was inconvenient was when officials conducted inspections. Even that could usually be solved by slipping them some money.
If not, you could just bypass them through a back alley or a side path. For the time being, that wouldn’t be necessary. Because I had my own home.
It would have been nice if I could have married into her family as I had dreamed as a child, but I was glad to be able to return even in this way. To everyone, their hometown is an object of longing. There was a swordsman called the Butcher because he killed women and children without mercy.
Even that cold-blooded murderer would long for his hometown in a thick western dialect after a few drinks. He would ramble on like a lament, telling heroic tales from his childhood when he went out to steal with a starving belly amidst the dusty, rough, and steep mountains of Seoryang. A hometown is a place like that.
No matter how glamorous and wealthy a city you live in, when you lie down to sleep, your head always turns toward your hometown. Because the memories of childhood are more dazzling and precious than gold and jewels. I don't know where Sister Soso went.
Searching for her would only lead to us missing each other. If Sister Soso and her parents are alive and well, they will come back someday. As long as they are alive, we can meet again.
Until then, I will protect this house. I had nowhere else to go anyway. I was tired of wandering the Central Plains as a wandering swordsman, and I was sick of killing people for money.
Those who swing their swords for pay are easily betrayed for more money. That is why they can never earn trust wherever they go.
Even if I were lucky enough to join a martial faction or a merchant guild, it was obvious I would be used as a swordsman and then, when my fangs fell out, I would be discarded like a dog after the hunt, used as a shield. However and whenever I died, I wanted my end to be in my homeland.
I gave Oh-seong the promised 100 coins for his fee, with an extra 30 on top. That would be more than enough for three generations of his family to sit around the table and feast on pork until they were full. I went to Sister Soso's house, which was now my own, and started cleaning.
I cut away the vines that climbed the outer wall to the roof with my sword and threw them over the fence. Just cleaning up the exterior made me feel refreshed. Starting with the main room, I removed all the remaining furniture.
I dusted off the cobwebs and dust, and swept and wiped the floors. I also pulled out all the weeds in the yard. I called a carpenter and ordered a new gate, floorboards, windows, and even a bed to replace the broken ones.
He said it would take at least a day even with a rush fee, so I had no choice but to stay at the inn that night as well. By the next afternoon, my house was no longer a ruin.
With a proper gate installed, everything cleanly repaired, and even blankets, pillows, and dishes purchased, it looked like a place where someone could live. I had a simple dinner with food and wine bought from the inn and lay down on the bed. After tossing and turning for a while, I drifted off to sleep.
I opened my eyes feeling pleasant in the cozy blankets warmed by my body heat. Beyond the paper window, once submerged in darkness, a pale light was dawning. Birds were singing on the back mountain, and the rustling sound from the distant bamboo grove was exceptionally clear and refreshing.
Only now did it feel like I had truly returned home. It felt as if Sister Soso might open the door at any moment and smack my bottom to wake me up, so I lay still for a long time, listening.
When I opened the window, my hometown, which had changed as much as I had, unfolded between the familiar fence and mountains. I cannot return to being the eleven-year-old boy with not a single drop of blood on his hands, but still, I decided to believe. That the days to come will be different.
Because, at last, I have returned home.