Chapter 58
“This is Pu-erh tea, isn’t it? Such a deep aroma… I’ve rarely encountered a top-quality brew like this.”
Dang Jin-ak, relaxing as he sipped the tea, looked quite pleased.
Coming from a noble family’s young master, his compliment proved just how exceptional the tea was.
Even Eun Sowol, who didn’t know anything about tea, could immediately tell it was on a completely different level from the ones she’d tried before.
“You’re too kind, my lord. I’m humbled.”
“My father fermented the tea himself. That’s why it smells so rich.”
The boy puffed out his chest as if he was the one being praised.
“You seem very knowledgeable about herbs.”
“I’m just a humble herbalist with modest skills.”
As they exchanged polite compliments…
“For a humble herbalist, you’ve made quite a few enemies.”
Clink—
Dok Go-ryong set down his empty teacup. The simple sound made everyone fall silent and look his way.
“You’ve got a problem with Mukhyangbang?”
The herbalist straightened and nodded solemnly.
“It wasn’t always like this. There used to be several herb guilds and vendors who coexisted peacefully in Heuksigok. But two years ago, Mukhyangbang began swallowing up other businesses, growing their influence until they now dominate the whole area.”
“Right now, they practically have a monopoly over Heuksigok’s herbal market. And they’re targeting the few remaining independent sellers like us.”
“So that’s why those men caused a scene earlier… and why nobody stopped them.”
“Exactly. Most of the people around here are Mukhyangbang’s people. If you’re not with them, they’ll do anything to crush your business.”
The herbalist gave a bitter smile.
“Can’t you just join them? Those scary men might come back…”
That earlier incident ended without serious harm only because there were people around to intervene.
If those men had truly wanted to hurt them, the father and son wouldn’t have been okay.
“I’d rather die than join them!”
The boy exploded with rage, trembling with fury.
The atmosphere grew so tense that Sowol flinched without realizing.
“Do you know how evil they are?! They make us pay outrageous tribute fees! We’re forced to hand over rare herbs! And it’s not like they treat their own people well either! We’re just trapped under their thumb, pretending to have freedom!”
“Most people only obey Mukhyangbang out of fear. They hate them deep down.”
“They’re the reason we’re like this now! They’re the reason my mom and family are gone…!”
“Geora.”
The herbalist’s quiet voice made the boy—Geora—grab his chest with teary eyes, then run outside.
“…Did your wife pass away?”
“Yes. She was lost in a conflict with Mukhyangbang.”
A sigh escaped both Jin-ak and Sowol.
Now they understood why the boy had lashed out so fearlessly at that huge thug earlier.
“It’s a cruel way to treat a mere herbalist. And he had a family… I doubt he’s just any ordinary vendor.”
At Dok Go-ryong’s sharp observation, the herbalist hesitated.
He seemed unsure how much he should reveal.
Go-ryong didn’t pressure him—he understood the man might have reasons to stay silent.
After a moment, the herbalist let out a soft breath and looked up with clear eyes.
“Come to think of it, we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Lee Jae-ha, and that’s my son, Lee Mu-geol. I used to run a small guild called Yugok Sangdan.”
Yugok Sangdan? Lee Mu-geol?
Sowol’s eyes widened in surprise.
Lee Mu-geol is the one who gave the main character the elixir!
In the original novel Return of the Youngest Namgung Heir, the protagonist saves a merchant group from an ambush during his travels.
That group was Yugok Sangdan, and its leader was none other than Lee Mu-geol.
To repay the hero, Mu-geol later gives him a priceless elixir originally meant for the black market—the Yin-Yang Twin Serpent Core.
I never expected to meet him here. And his father is still alive too…
In the original, Mu-geol was alone. He had lost his family in a power struggle and was left an orphan.
But judging from their story, that tragedy hadn’t happened yet.
This could be a great opportunity.
Lee Mu-geol would later become a key ally to the protagonist, providing rare herbs and valuable information.
Whenever rumors spread about a miracle remedy, Mu-geol was the one to notify the hero first.
He’s exactly the kind of person I need!
Sowol’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the father and son.
Lee Jae-ha didn’t seem like a weak, helpless herbalist anymore. To her, he looked like a god of medicine who could mine gold and elixirs from the earth.
“Wow! You were a guild leader? No wonder your herbs are top-notch!”
To make them allies, she had to lower their guard and earn their trust first.
Sowol’s innocent words brought a soft smile to Jae-ha’s face.
“I may have been a guild leader once, but I had to know quality when I saw it. I learned everything from my father—how to harvest herbs, how to identify rare ones. When it comes to judging elixirs, I’d say I’m the best in Yunnan.”
“If you’re the best in Yunnan, that’s basically the best in the world! I actually thought the herbs on your stall were unusual even before I knew this.”
Luckily, Dang Jin-ak added generous praise of his own.
“Honestly, we’re also hoping that, if you have other good herbs beyond what we bought today, we might be able to purchase those too.”
At his words, Lee Jae-ha’s eyes lit up.
He hadn’t been able to sell much due to Mukhyangbang’s interference.
He wasn’t foolish enough to miss out on such a rare chance.
After all, he was once a merchant leader.
“I do have more herbs besides what I sold today, but only in small amounts. Still, if you need something specific, I’ll do my best to find it. Please, give me a list of what you’re looking for.”
“Hyungnim, is that okay with you?”
Dok Go-ryong gave a nod, and Jin-ak, as if waiting for this moment, began listing all sorts of rare herbs.
Lee Jae-ha listened carefully, not wanting to miss a single one.
Just then, Lee Mu-geol came back inside, sniffling.
“Why do you need so many high-grade herbs anyway?”
Sowol answered instead.
“To fix my illness.”
“Illness? Are you sick?”
“Yeah. But it’s not something small. I need super rare elixirs.”
“Like what?”
“Stuff like Millennium Snow Ginseng, the core of the Thousand-Year Fire Lily… or the Yin-Yang Twin Serpent Core. Honestly, I don’t even know exactly what they do.”
She mumbled, saying even memorizing the names was hard, then glanced at Mu-geol.
He wouldn’t have that core for another ten years, but maybe he knew something.
“Are you trying to invent a miracle pill or something? You’ll go bankrupt before you collect all those.”
Her hopes were crushed by his blunt reply.
But Sowol didn’t give up.
“That’s why I’m working hard to find them now!”
“You don’t just find things like that by trying hard. You need luck and fate on your side.”
“It’s okay! I’ve got my uncles!”
She proudly pointed at Dok Go-ryong and Dang Jin-ak.
Mu-geol stared at Jin-ak, who wore his usual green robe.
“…He’s from the Sichuan Dang clan, right?”
“Yep! He said he’s never seen herbs this good before, and he’s going to send everything we bought to the Dang clan.”
Since Jin-ak wasn’t hiding his identity, Sowol spoke honestly.
This could be your golden opportunity to form a connection with the Sichuan Dang clan… Would you really let that go?
“And what does your uncle do?”
“Uncle?”
Sowol had thought just selling Jin-ak’s name would be enough…
But Mu-geol was more thorough than expected.
Sowol paused, then spoke confidently.
“My uncle is Gwang-ryong! He’s super strong!”
“…Stronger than bandits?”
“Bandits run away the moment they see him! Just listen to what Uncle Aki calls him!”
Mu-geol perked up and listened in on the adults’ conversation.
“That one wasn’t on the list.”
“The others are for my clan. Grandpa Dang’s been complaining about how hard it is to find good herbs lately. I was going to send some anyway, so I figured I’d include these.”
Hyungnim.
A noble heir calling an unknown drifter “hyungnim” was practically proof of that man’s skill and identity.
