The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 8

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Youngest Master of the Zhu Family (8)

Investigation

The matter regarding the Heavenly Central Trading Company.

I had received full authority from Maternal Grandfather regarding this matter.

True to his nature as a merchant, Maternal Grandfather liked certainty and handed me a token.

‘If there’s anyone who doesn’t recognize your face, show them this token. It’s the token symbolizing the young master of the Shaanxi Yu Family. Of course, there won’t be any need to use it in my generation, but…’

His bitter tone remained in my memory.

I didn’t refuse the token and accepted it.

It was a kind of identity token for investigating the trading company, and the ultimate token that could skip complicated procedures.

I immediately headed to the Heavenly Central Trading Company with Mu Ying.

Since I had obtained the location of the Heavenly Central Trading Company and basic information about them from Maternal Grandfather, there were no particular problems.

The Heavenly Central Trading Company was located not far from where the Yu Family Estate was.

Their main headquarters was in a small village that could be reached by walking for about half a shichen.

“What brings you here?”

The warriors guarding the main gate of the Heavenly Central Trading Company politely bowed and spoke to me.

“I’ve come from the Shaanxi Yu Family.”

“Ah, the Yu Family? Who might you be from the Yu Family…?”

“I am Woo Jin, the maternal grandson of the family head.”

The warrior’s expression completely changed upon hearing those words.

His attitude became very respectful.

“So you’re the maternal grandson of the family head. Please wait a moment. I’ll go report to the General Manager.”

The warrior hurriedly ran inside.

“Will it be alright?”

At that moment, Mu Ying quietly spoke to me.

“What do you mean?”

“I was asking if it would be alright for just us to conduct the investigation. Isn’t the opponent someone bold enough to try to harm Foster Mother?”

“Huh, Mu Ying.”

I let out a small sigh.

“The main body isn’t here. Would the opponent be so careless that I could easily figure them out like this? Someone reckless enough to target the Foster Mother of the Zhu Family, as you said?”

“That’s true… I suppose so.”

Mu Ying nodded with a stern expression.

Those words were actually a more dangerous statement.

Didn’t it mean this could be a more dangerous matter than expected?

Mu Ying’s guard stance became even more vigilant.

After a while, the General Manager and the warrior from earlier appeared from inside the gate.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting, young hero. I am Mo Pyeong, the General Manager of the Heavenly Central Trading Company.”

“…I’m Woo Jin.”

General Manager Mo Pyeong bowed politely.

He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man with a decent appearance.

“Please come inside.”

I silently followed his guidance.

I opened my mouth while walking behind him.

“I heard from Maternal Grandfather that you’ve been trading with our maternal family for a long time. Mainly dealing in medicinal herbs and all kinds of rare exotic herbs.”

“Hahaha! That’s correct. I’m honored that the family head would remember our humble trading company.”

The General Manager nodded with a good-natured smile.

He seemed genuinely pleased.

“I heard that the third daughter of the family head has been sickly since childhood. Somehow, after hearing about our trading company, the Yu Family purchases more than seventy percent of the medicinal herbs we deal in. They’re our benefactors too.”

“…”

I nodded at those words.

Maternal Grandfather’s love for his daughters was quite famous even here.

Probably not just the Heavenly Central Trading Company, but he would be on good terms with all trading companies that deal in medicinal herbs.

All of that would be solely for Mother, who had been weak since childhood.

“By the way, what business brings you to our trading company?”

“I’ll ask directly. When trading with the Yu Family, who usually handles it?”

“Well, the Yu Family is our biggest client and regular customer. Naturally, our Guild Master usually handles it, but when he’s busy, I handle it directly.”

“Have you never sent anyone else?”

At my words, Mo Pyeong’s expression hardened.

He seemed displeased.

“Somehow, young master’s tone seems a bit sharp.”

“I’m just asking out of curiosity.”

“Hmm. Yes. As I mentioned, the Yu Family is our trading company’s biggest client and regular customer. We can’t just send anyone, can we?”

“Then naturally, you must have thoroughly inspected the medicinal herbs sent to the Yu Family as well.”

“Of course. We always trade premium goods with the Yu Family first.”

Mo Pyeong’s tone also gradually became subdued.

It was clearly an interrogation-like questioning.

“By any chance, was the family head of the Yu Family dissatisfied with the goods we sent?”

“That’s not the case. He’s quite satisfied.”

I looked at Mo Pyeong and smiled pleasantly.

So either the Guild Master of the Heavenly Central Trading Company or this person in front of me was the Fierce Beast.

Noticing my changed atmosphere, Mu Ying subtly changed position to block Mo Pyeong’s escape route.

“I’ll ask just one more thing. Heavy Relief Decoction. Do you know it?”

“Hmm? Heavy Relief Decoction?”

The General Manager nodded as if it were obvious.

“It’s a very precious item I recently obtained. It’s a herbal decoction made from precious medicinal herbs that will alleviate the illness of the third daughter of the Yu family head. I personally procured it, but why do you ask?”

“…”

What?

It’s revealed this easily?

Mu Ying, reading my expression, quietly grasped his sword hilt.

I quickly shook my head at him.

‘What is this? This reaction.’

Mo Pyeong showed a reaction as if asking why I was acting this way.

“That Heavy Relief Decoction is poison.”

I went one step further and brought up the main point directly.

Upon hearing those words, Mo Pyeong hesitated for a moment, then turned pale and began trembling.

“Po, po, poison? Th, that can’t be…! I personally… ta, tasted it… and paid a high price to purchase it…!”

‘This guy isn’t it.’

I was immediately certain that Mo Pyeong wasn’t the Fierce Beast.

“It’s just medicinal tea when consumed alone. But the moment it mixes with the medicinal herbs Mother takes, it becomes deadly poison.”

“I, I, I didn’t know that. I’m, I’m sorry…!”

Mo Pyeong’s complexion turned deathly pale.

He was almost ready to wet himself.

Mo Pyeong trembled while tilting his head toward me.

“Di, did you just… sa, say mother…?”

“Yes. I am the maternal grandson of the Yu family head and the son of Yu Harin, his third daughter.”

“Gasp!”

Mo Pyeong lost strength in his legs and collapsed on the spot.

My words meant only one thing.

The Heavenly Central Trading Company had just as good as admitted to poisoning the Foster Mother of the Zhu Family.

The rumor that the third daughter of the Yu family head was marrying the heir of the Zhu Family had been the talk of Chang’an from the beginning.

Trading companies sensitive to information naturally knew this fact better than anyone.

The Yu Family was also able to conduct transactions with many more trading companies from an overwhelming position using that information, and the Zhu Family was able to earn tremendous money under the support of such Yu Family.

Anyway, now the Heavenly Merchant Guild had essentially committed a mad act against the Zhu Family’s Foster Mother.

And here was that Foster Mother’s own son standing before their eyes.

This was no ordinary matter.

“Please be at ease. I can see that you are not a Fierce Beast.”

Mo Pyeong’s internal energy was extremely ordinary.

Ordinary disguised, he could unleash killing intent, but at least this was not the Demonic Cult’s method.

I am the only person among all Central Plains people currently alive who knows the Demonic Cult better than anyone else.

‘If it were the Demonic Cult, they wouldn’t use this kind of throwing technique. This is something used by the Dark Path.’

Of course, they sometimes disguised themselves as such Dark Path to carry out their work.

However, that part was at least completely different from the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s methods.

“Where did you buy the Heavy Relief Decoction?”

“If, if you go west from here toward Yeo Mountain, you’ll come to a place called Jangpyeong Gate where a market opens every 5 days. About three months ago? I happened to pass by that place and met a merchant selling that Heavy Relief Decoction.”

“By chance?”

A sneer naturally formed on my lips.

What were the odds of coincidentally encountering exactly the medicinal herbs that the Zhu Family’s Foster Mother needed?

I pondered for a moment, then immediately approached Mo Pyeong.

“From now on, I’m going to harm you. And I’ll take you to the Yu Family Estate and imprison you.”

“Yes, yes…?”

“In the end, it’s true that the General Manager gave poison to my mother. Just think of this as taking responsibility for that.”

After whispering to him, I gave him no opportunity and immediately nodded toward Mu Ying.

Mu Ying drew his sword and shallowly cut Mo Pyeong’s calf.

“Kugh!”

Mo Pyeong collapsed, and the gazes of the Heavenly Merchant Guild’s merchants and servants around focused on us.

I shouted toward them.

“I’m taking away the Fierce Beast who poisoned the Yu Family. Anyone who has something to say can come directly to the Yu Family Estate.”

I finished those words and turned around.

Mu Ying firmly grabbed Mo Pyeong and forcibly dragged him out.

The murmuring sounds of the merchants could be heard, but I ostentatiously dragged Mo Pyeong roughly and left the Heavenly Merchant Guild.

That night.

I imprisoned Mo Pyeong in an empty warehouse of the Yu Family Estate.

Mu Ying asked me.

“Young Master, didn’t you say that man wasn’t a Fierce Beast?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then why did you imprison him?”

Mu Ying was puzzled.

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out the reason for imprisoning Mo Pyeong.

‘I know that bastard’s methods very well.’

What I’m trying to catch isn’t just some tail that spread poison.

That crazy bastard who created that poison and even considered the method to administer it to Mother.

It’s to catch the Blood Hand Poison Emperor, the poison-obsessed one among the Twelve Demon Emperors raised by the Heavenly Demon.

Of course, I couldn’t tell Mu Ying this fact straight out.

Even if I did, I’d be fortunate if he didn’t treat me like a madman lost in delusions.

“Just wait and see.”

“…”

At my words, Mu Ying fell silent.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor will definitely make a move.

That meticulous and crazy bastard won’t tolerate even the slightest flaw in the plan he devised.

​

* * *

​

A day passed.

I entered the warehouse where Mo Pyeong was imprisoned and handed him water and rice.

“Wh, why are you doing this? What is this all about…?”

“It must be confusing, but please bear with it a little longer. That is, if you don’t want to be misunderstood.”

I deliberately acted exaggeratedly.

I used the daytime hours when the Yu Family’s servants and the trading company’s procession were moving, and instead showed a consistently serious expression so they could notice me.

Indeed, perhaps because of that, even the servants who were originally friendly couldn’t easily approach me.

Night came again like that, and finally I got a bite.

‘Poison qi.’

I gathered food to give to Mo Pyeong as I had done all day today.

As soon as I received the food, poison qi subtly spread out.

‘A method to disguise it as suicide. It’s him.’

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s touch had reached here.

If it weren’t for these super senses I gained after my regression, I would never have noticed such subtle poison qi.

If someone died eating this poison directly concocted by the Blood Hand Poison Emperor, not even the slightest trace would remain.

‘The Blood Hand Poison Emperor killed hundreds and thousands with such poison without batting an eye.’

I immediately sent a signal to Mu Ying with my eyes.

Mu Ying headed straight to the kitchen, and I entered the warehouse carrying the food.

“The food is poisoned.”

“Gasp…!”

Mo Pyeong’s hand, which was about to receive the food bowl, froze in place.

“For now, you’re cleared of suspicion, General Manager. But I’ll need you to endure a bit more hardship.”

At my words, Mo Pyeong nodded.

Befitting a general manager of a trading company, he was quite quick-witted.

He probably realized what I was trying to do at once.

I pressed Mo Pyeong’s acupoints and put him to sleep.

Then I left the warehouse with a stern expression.

In front of the warehouse were servants guarding it.

I told them.

“Mo Pyeong has collapsed. He suddenly collapsed after eating food.”

“What?”

Naturally, chaos erupted.

They moved in perfect coordination.

Some tried to enter the warehouse, but I stopped them.

“Bring a physician. No one can enter before that.”

While the servants were moving busily, I heard the sound of a whistle sent by Mu Ying from afar.

It seemed he had finally made his move.

The real stem that would lead to the main body called the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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