"My lady!" " Are you all right?" " Yes." "It is no big deal." "Do not worry." "How is it going?" "Is it bearable?" "Yes." "Your duty doesn't end at protecting your merchants." "The most important task of a security officer is to find the way." "Time is of the essence in business." "Finding the fastest way to a destination is one of the responsibilities of a security officer." "You should learn to read the stars." "You should be able to find shortcuts just by looking at the shape of a mountain." "You must protect your group by detecting danger before it materializes." " Do you understand?" " Yes." "Find your way by reading the stars?" "Chief Yoo told me once." "If you learn astronomy, you can find your way." "Even when you're lost in the desert." "Darn..." "There is so much to learn." "The Chinese language, military strategy, and now astronomy..." "I don't care." "You go study all you want." "Begin." "We lost three men." "Six were wounded." "We can't continue this way across the desert." "We must change our route and go to Yuzhou." "We'll cross the desert and go to Yuzhou as planned." "You can't in your condition." "Don't worry about me." "We'll camp out here tonight." "We'll leave at daybreak." " Be ready." " Yes." "You must've been frightened." "Are you all right?" "Don't worry about me." "YUZHOU" "How much?" "Five silver coins." "Chief." "Brocade is selling for 2 coins a roll, and silk is selling for 5 coins a roll." "How much do we need?" "We need a total of five hundred rolls." "Buy an extra five hundred rolls of silk." "Yes, sir." "What are you doing?" "You should have learned to speak Chinese to help me at times like this to carry out our business smoothly." "But..." "What else do you know but "hurry"?" "How frustrating." "Chief." "The price of silk has been rising since we started buying in bulk." "Keep buying even if you have to pay the price." "Yes." "And start spreading rumors of a large group of merchants coming from Yangzhou to buy silk." "Yes." "Why do you buy more silk than you need?" "I'll tell you later." "Chief." " There is a problem." " What problem?" "The biggest silk merchant in Yuzhou refuses to sell to us." "What do you mean?" "He's been doing business with Master Sul for years." "He's waiting to do business with Master Sul." "I need to talk to him." "Arrange a meeting." "What is your business with me?" "I want to buy your silk." "I'll pay you handsomely." "I can't sell." "Even merchants have loyalty and trust." "Sul Pyong and I went through life and death together." "On the Silk Road." "If we were lost in the desert, we'd find our way by the skeletons of those who went ahead of us." "I can't betray Master Sul." "Goodbye." "He's the biggest silk vendor." "If he won't do business with us, our business will be affected." "There is nothing to worry about." "Secure Madam Jami's stock first." "We're all right." "I came along for the experience." "We don't need to buy silk." "It's all right." "You risked your life for this dangerous journey." "You should make a profit." "You called for me?" "What do you want?" "What brings you here?" "I thought you didn't want to do business with me." "I'll do business with you." "What about your loyalty to Master Sul?" "You'll betray his trust overnight?" "I don't need loyalty or trust." "Please do business with me." "Buy his silk." "Master." "What is it?" "The price of silk has soared." "A roll of silk is being sold for 10 coins." "That's double the usual price." "What's the reason for the sudden jump in the price?" "Yi Do-hyung's merchant group arrived ten days earlier and they have been buying silk in bulk." "But the price couldn't have doubled in ten days." "There must be another reason." "Find out what it is." "Chief." "The Sul Pyong group has arrived." "They're shocked to find Master Jang's shop closed and the price of silk doubled." "Watch their every move." "Let me know as soon as there is any change." "Yes." " Chief." " What is it?" "Madam Jami has arrived." "You must be tired from the long journey." "It was a good opportunity to see how vast China is." "It was a grueling journey, but I'm glad I came." "So has this long journey paid for itself yet?" "Yes, we're buying up silk as planned." "I'm glad to hear that." "Let's go inside." "Have you learned anything from Yum Moon?" "He's doing something I can't understand." "What do you mean?" "He's buying twice what he planned to buy." "Is there a reason?" "He hasn't told me yet." "Let's go get a drink." "Things are not going well with the group." "It's no time for drinks." "That's for merchants to worry about." "We only have to do our duty as security officers." "Let's just have one drink." "Well, our business is done here." "You should know that I asked Chief Jang to buy us drinks." "Let's drink." "What?" "Yuzhou has the prettiest girls." "You don't know what you're talking about." "Chang'an has the prettiest girls." "Have you ever bedded a Chang'an girl?" "Need you ask?" "Surprised?" "I have been to the gates of hell, thanks to you." "But I just couldn't go in without you." "I'll let you go first before I go back there." "You sons of..." "Kill them!" "Please don't kill me." "Goong-bok..." "Goong-bok." "Please don't kill me." "Out of the way." "What's the ruckus?" "We're merchants from Yangzhou." "These men picked a fight with us." "Who are you?" "You don't seem to be from here." "Where are you from?" "What is he saying?" "Look at me." "They must've known I was a merchant, and tried to steal money from me." "They must be thieves." "Take them away." " My lady." " What is it?" "Goong-bok and Jung Yon were taken by Chinese troops." "Why?" "They got into a fight with a few merchants." "What?" "Those fools." "They wouldn't have gotten into a fight without just cause." "I'm sure they had their reason." "Don't say anything to Father until we find out." "Yes." "You idiot." "Is it true you got into a fight at the marketplace?" "How did you know?" "One of the workmen saw you and told the chief." "Follow me." "Rules are strictly enforced during journeys." "Why is that?" "Well... no good will come of Getting into trouble away from home..." "It's best to carry out your business quietly and leave..." "So why did you get into a fight in the middle of a marketplace?" "Chief..." "Are we some kind of thugs?" "I have a good reason." "It wasn't my fault..." "I'm sorry." "Please forgive me." "Fire him from his position and demote him to coolie status." "Yes." "Just what evil fate binds Goong-bok and me?" "Are you all right?" "He hit me where I got hit before." "It's terribly painful." "Watch where you're going, you old man." "That insolent wretch." "Wait." "Wasn't that Joong-dal, the Chunghae foreman's son?" "What?" "That son of a..." "Wait." "We're not thieves." "We're merchants." "Hey, stop right there." "Listen to us first!" "Stop that ruckus and sit down." "Your native tongue will fall on deaf ears." "Are you all right?" "Joong-dal, that son of a..." "I should've killed him with my bare hands." "Let me take a look." "You know what you're doing?" "Are you a doctor?" "I'm a criminal now, but I was once a doctor." "Let me take a look." "Are you out of your mind?" "You're as good as new now." "What's going on at Master Sul's?" "They're not buying any silk yet." "Everything is going as you planned." "Good work." "Pay five silver coins to all the workers, and give them a rest." "We'll decide on the return date after observing Master Sul's movements a little longer." "Yes." "You asked why I'm buying twice the silk we need?" "The most profitable business in Yangzhou is selling goods from the West." "But merchants from the West are not allowed to sell their goods directly." "They must hand over their goods to customs, and the Jie Du Shi distributes the goods to merchants according to their size." "And merchants must pay for the goods in silk." "And the Sul Pyong merchant group always gets the most goods in Yangzhou." "They get three times the goods that we do." "If Master Sul can't buy silk, he can't buy Western goods." "And we can buy his share of goods." "I plan to suppress the Sul Pyong merchant group, and become the biggest merchant group in Yangzhou." "What happens if Master Sul buys silk at the inflated price?" "Your plan will fail if he buys silk anyway and buys Western goods." "If I'm too afraid to take the risk, then I should give up on becoming the biggest merchant." "Is that why he bought more silk?" "Yes." "What do you think about his plan?" "Do you think things will go as he planned?" "Master Sul Pyong won't go down easily." "No matter what the outcome, it'll be interesting to watch." "We only need to sit back and watch." "Make sure we buy enough for our group." "Yes." "Did you find out?" "Yes." "The Yuzhou merchants already knew we had to buy a large quantity of silk." "They decided we'd buy silk at any price and fixed the price." "Yi Do-hyung's group must've spread the word." "We'll take a huge loss if we buy silk at the current price." "We should give up this trade." "Let's wait and see." "You may leave." "Yes." "What happened to them?" "They are in jail now." "Is there any way to get them out?" "I have looked into it, but we're away from home." "It won't be easy." "Get them out even if you have to use bribery." "Yes." "What was that about?" "Who's in jail?" "Are you all right?" "It's bearable." "What are men from Shilla doing here?" "I'm a security officer for the Sul Pyong merchant group." "My name is Goong-bok." "I'm Jung Yon." "How did you end up in jail?" "I can't bring a corpse back to life." "What do you mean?" "I'm the physician of the Yuzhou Province Jie Du Shi." "They threw me in jail because I couldn't cure him." "Is he gravely ill?" "We've used the best medicines, but his illness has even reached his bone marrow." "The best doctor in China couldn't help him." "Then what will happen to you?" "I guess I'll die when the Jie Du Shi dies." "My life will come to an end in a few days." "Take those two out." "What happened?" "I'm sorry." "You're not hurt?" "No." "Let's go." "I had high expectations for you." "But you have betrayed my trust." "Please forgive us." "Silence!" "Trust is more important than money to a merchant." "You can only earn trust by upholding the values and honor of your merchant group." "How could you have done such a thing as security officers of our merchant group?" "They have no right to be security officers." "Strip them of their titles and privileges." "Use them as coolies." "Yes, Master." "Give me your swords." "Now!" "You can't stay in this room from now on." "Go to the workers' rooms." "Look at us." "Not killing Joong-dal vexes me more than being fired as a security officer." "Go to sleep." "Where are you going?" "I need to get some air." "The price of silk has gone up so much that we couldn't make our purchase yet." "Father is very upset about that." "He'll reinstate you once he is appeased." "Be patient and wait." "I couldn't complain even if he gave me a harsher punishment." "I'm sorry I disappointed the master and you." "Get some rest." "Is he gravely ill?" "We've used the best medicines, but his illness has even reached his bone marrow." "The best doctor in China couldn't help him." "Master, we can't wait any longer." "We must decide now whether we should buy silk or not." "We should give up this time." "Buy silk." "Father." "If we buy silk now, we'll take a big loss as you said." "But if we can't buy Western goods because we couldn't buy silk, the foundation of our merchant group will be shaken." "That is probably why Yi Do-hyung's group plotted such a ploy." "We can't give up on Western goods even if it means we have to take a loss." "Don't delay." "Go now." "Yes." "Master, I have something to tell you." "It's no place for you." "Leave us." "What is it?" "You may speak." "I think you should wait a few days to buy silk." "You don't know what you're saying." "Stop this nonsense and leave." "Why are you telling me to wait a few days?" "I heard that the Jie Du Shi of Yuzhou is gravely ill." "He could die in a few days." "If he dies, officials and nobles won't be able to wear silk robes." "The price of silk will plummet." "How can you tell us to wait for his death when every second counts?" "Who told you he'd die in a few days?" "I was in jail with the Jie Du Shi's physician." "He said he'd also be killed when the Jie Du Shi dies." "A man's life is mandated by heaven." "We can't delay any longer waiting for a man to die." "Find out if there is any truth to what Goong-bok said." "What is Master Sul doing?" "He hasn't made any move yet." "He must've given up." "How much silk do they need to pay to customs?" "I believe it's more than a thousand rolls." "Buy another five hundred rolls." "But we'll make no profit if we buy more silk at the current price." "I don't plan to make any profit from this trade." "The purpose of this trade is to be allotted the most Western goods, and build our foundation to become the biggest merchant in Yangzhou." "There is no time." "You must hurry." "Yes." "The Jie Du Shi hasn't made an appearance at an official function in the last several months." "There is truth to the rumor of his illness." "But we can't wait forever." "Let's wait." "Master Sul decided to trust your words and wait." "I don't understand why you had to step up and cause problems." "If anything goes wrong, how will you face the consequences?" "What if they blame you if anything goes wrong?" "We bought all the silk we need." "Silk is so cheap here." "The silk that sells for five coins in Mujinju costs only two coins here." "We'll make lots of money if we could take some and sell it in Mujinju." "You're wrong there." "It's not a bargain at all." "What do you mean?" "You saw it with your own eyes." "We've gone through so much to get here." "We climbed the mountains and crossed the river." "We even crossed the desert." "And it's a huge task to transport silk from here to Mujinju." "Should our ship get caught in a storm and sink, we'll be flat broke." "You ignoramus." "Am I wrong?" "You are right." "Silk is more expensive in Shilla because transporting it is such a huge task." "The time and work involved in transport is also money." " Goong-bok." " Go back to the inn first." "What are you thinking?" "I won't do anything reckless again." "Don't worry." "Hurry." "Hurry up." "I know what your intentions are, but isn't it too reckless to buy silk at that price?" "Business isn't a gamble." "I feel as if I'm gambling." "Everything has gone smoothly so far, but we must wait for the outcome." "Even if anything should go wrong," "I won't regret my decision." "What's going on?" "The Jie Du Shi has passed away." "That's strange..." "I thought I saw someone who looked like Goong-bok." "No, I must've been mistaken." "I only upset you by bringing up his name." "I'm sorry." "It's all right." "Have you really forgotten him just as you said when we were crossing the desert?" "I have erased him from my mind, but it's not easy to erase him from my heart." "I'm sure I'll forget him in time." "Let's go." "Master, the Jie Du Shi has passed away." "Chief, there is a problem." "What is it?" "The Jie Du Shi of Yuzhou has died and..." "The price of silk is plummeting." "What is it?" "The Jie Du Shi of Yuzhou has died and the price of silk is plummeting." "Yum Moon lost to Master Sul." "He rendered a great service to our merchant group." "You should reinstate them as security officers." "He should become a merchant, not a security officer." " Leave him be for now." " Yes, sir." " Did you find out?" " Yes." "Master Sul delayed the purchase because he predicted the Jie Du Shi's death." "How could he have predicted his death?" "His security officer Goong-bok told him, and Master Sul believed his words and waited." " Did you say Goong-bok?" " Yes." "You're excused." "Matters of life and death are not the will of men." "You have surprised me more than a few times with your daring." "This failure will serve as good experience in your becoming a great merchant." "Please don't be too disappointed." "Even if I have gained a hundred lessons and experiences from this failure," "it is still just a failure." "I need a drink to nurse my disappointment." "I may be out of line, but I would find great comfort in your company." "Would you do that for me?" "May I have a moment?" "You must be fluent in Chinese to do great work." "You should take time to learn Chinese when we go back to Yangzhou." "I'll help you." "So it can happen to us too" "I never thought we'd have to say goodbye" "Your words still don't seem real" "You're leaving me How can you leave me?" "Don't do this Please see how sad I am" "What am I to do about all my regrets?" "I want to turn back time Don't leave me" "I miss you so much it breaks my heart" "YANGZHOU" "We have made our silk purchase, and returned to Yangzhou without much incident." "Since we bought silk at a lower price than expected, we'll make a big profit." "But this trip was not a success." "What went wrong with this trip?" "We failed to see through the ploy of the Yi Do-hyung group, and predict that the price of silk would fluctuate." "How many days were we behind Master Yi's group?" "We were ten days behind." "I always emphasized that it is a responsibility of security officers to find shortcuts." "What were you doing?" "Please forgive me." "You should never make the same mistake again." " Understood?" " Yes!" "Take the silk and pick up the goods from the West." "Yes." "What will you do about Goong-bok and Yon?" " Shouldn't you reinstate..." " Leave them be." "Master can be so harsh." "What?" "If it weren't for you, he'd have gone broke." " He should forgive us now." " Go back to work." "I haven't seen you before." "Who are you?" "They were once security officers, but they have been demoted." "This is the chief of the warehouse." " What are you doing?" " How much can you lift?" "What?" "Not just anyone can be a coolie." "You mustn't buckle under a heavy weight." "Do you have any muscle in that tall frame?" "We won't be staying here long." "What?" "We'll be reinstated when Master is appeased." "I guess you don't know him." "Once you're out of his grace, that's it." "How could you have failed so thoroughly?" "How will you take responsibility for this?" "I'm sorry." "I'll fire him from his Position and strip him of all privileges." "Master, please show mercy." "The Jie Du Shi's sudden death was the cause of failure." "It wasn't his fault." "Leave me." "Yon." " What?" " What are you doing now?" "Can't you see?" "You weren't reinstated?" "What brings you here?" "Are you sure?" "Joong-dal is working for Master Yi?" "Yes, I'm sure." "He was in charge of the slave trade, but he was demoted to coolie status in Yuzhou." "Goong-bok, I have to kill that wretch." "Hurry up." "Walk faster." "Hurry." "Goong-bok, look at him." "He's the man from the pirate ship we repaired in Chunghae." "Hurry." " Chun-tae." " Yes." " Take them away." " Yes." "We're done." "I'll take the ship to Yangzhou." "Make your report to the master." "Yes, Chief." "If anyone tries to escape, kill them on the spot." "What are you doing?" "Kill them!" "What are you doing?" "What are you doing with that?" "It's nothing." "It's really nothing." "I'm disciplining a lazy worker." "Don't be too hard on him." "Goong-bok, Yon, please don't kill me." "If you tell the truth, we'll spare your life." "I mean it." "I didn't know they were pirates." "How could you be working for them if you didn't know?" "But they would have killed me if I hadn't." "Yon." "There's no point in listening to him." "Let's just kill him." "Yon, please don't kill me." "Please." "You two get out of the way." " Boss." " Out of the way." "Please don't kill me." "I pay back as much as I receive." " Yon, hold him down." " Yes, sir." "Please don't kill me." "Doing this won't erase our slave marks." "I know." "But this is the only way to appease some of my fury." "Boss." " Hold him down." " I'll tell you everything." "Goong-bok, please don't kill me." "The captain of the pirate ship you repaired was Master Yi Do-hyung." "The pirate who attacked Chunghae was Yi Do-hyung." " Is this true?" " Yes, it is." "Why would I lie when I'll die soon anyway?" "Yum Moon." "Shall I summon So-hong?" "No, don't let anyone in unless I say so." "Here." "It's all right." "I need a drink." "I heard you rendered a great service to Master Sul on the Yuzhou trip." "Thanks to you, I failed miserably." "I thought about our fate as I returned from Yuzhou." "The reason our fates have crossed is not just because we serve different masters." "There must be something else." "But I don't know what that something else is." "I do." "The first time I met you..." "It was at the marketplace in Chunghae." "I was being beaten to death by the son of the Chunghae governor." "Then I saw you displaying your fencing skills at the marketplace, and you taught me fencing in exchange for showing you around Chunghae." "After you left Chunghae, my father and I went to repair a merchant ship in Bikeum at the introduction of Joong-dal, the foreman's son." "But when I realized that the ship we had repaired was a pirate ship," "Father and I were already too deep in the trap." "Shortly after, pirates attacked Chunghae." "Father and I were framed for colluding with pirates." "My father died an unfair death and..." "I have come face to face with death many times." "And I finally learned the identity of the pirates" "who made my life miserable." "I have just learned that your master Yi Do-hyung was the captain of the pirates who attacked Chunghae." "The reason our fates crossed is not because we serve different masters." "It is because your master is Master Yi, who killed my father and threw me into the jaws of death." "I thought nothing could cause Problems as long as we did not see each other, since our masters take different paths." "It was sad to put our good memories behind us, but I thought that was just our fate." "But not anymore." "I must cough up this burning fire inside me" "onto you and Master Yi." "I must have my revenge." "For the miserable years I've lived..." "I'll pay you back for the pain I've endured." "When we meet again..." "You'll be my enemy who killed my father..." "My enemy who threw me into the jaws of death."