The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company – Chapter 104

Chapter 104. The Manjol Physician (5)

In my previous life, I had heard this story from Palgap.
“A fire broke out in the Murim Alliance’s Pavilion, and people burned to death inside.”
“What? At the Murim Alliance?”
“They caught the culprit—a man named Gu Si.”
“What was his reason?”
“I don’t know that part.”

It was an incident that had simply passed by.
Was there another person with the same name as Gu Si?
I had too many pressing matters to dwell on that thought.

After finishing the dishes, the Manjol Physician approached me as I was preparing to do laundry.
“It seems that Seolhon Powder alone won’t be sufficient. I should inform the Murim Alliance and request their support in providing the necessary medicinal herbs.”
What? The Murim Alliance?
Could it be…?
I recalled the name Gu Si that I had heard in my previous life, and the arson incident he had committed.
Why was his name Gu Si?
Why did he set fire to that Pavilion?
Why specifically to the Murim Alliance’s Pavilion?
The Murim Alliance was a place where masters stood guard meticulously, so to set a fire there, one would have needed to endure and prepare for a long time.
What could possibly drive someone to endure such suffering and commit such an act?
There are emotions that enable such endurance in people.
One of them is the emotion of revenge.
What struck me was that among countless acts of revenge, he specifically burned down the Pavilion, causing those inside to perish in flames.
He was a pure child, innocent enough to believe the Senior Brother’s words about giving him the name Gu Si.
I wondered what could possibly drive such a child to snap, but the moment I heard the Manjol Physician say “I should inform the Murim Alliance,” I thought I understood.
In my previous life, the Manjol Physician would have certainly come to the Hyungmun Sect.
And he would have discovered that this was a contagious disease afflicting martial artists.
Naturally, medicinal herbs were needed, so the Manjol Physician would have sent a letter to the Murim Alliance requesting their support in providing herbs.
The Manjol Physician did this because the Murim Alliance had always provided support when such requests were made.
But.
This time was different.
The Murim Alliance came up with a far more extreme solution than the Manjol Physician had anticipated.
Eradication—cutting the grass and removing the roots.
True to the saying of cutting down the fire and eliminating the roots, the Murim Alliance had done exactly that.
Perhaps they felt fear at the very notion of a plague that afflicted those who had cultivated inner energy techniques.
If left unchecked, the disease could have spread throughout the entire martial arts world.
Yet still, even so, it should never have come to that.
Had they provided medicinal materials, it could have been cured entirely.
I can say this with certainty, having witnessed it myself.
The Manjol Physician could have healed the affliction had he been given time and proper conditions—or rather, had he been supplied with medicine.
But….
Whether it was Gu Si or whatever name he took on, what awaited the child who had been thrilled at receiving a new identity and belonging was not the warmth he had anticipated.
Pavilions blazing with raging flames.
The anguished screams of those burning alive.
Desperate cries and pleas for salvation.
Countless blades swung down upon those who barely managed to escape.
And those falling to their deaths upon those very blades.
How utterly powerless must he have felt, witnessing all of it while hiding, unable to do anything?
Bastards.
Somehow….
The way they burned everything—carriages, horses, corpses—when I died showed a proficiency that came from far more than mere practice.
Some might accuse me of exaggeration in my suspicions.
That the righteous Murim Alliance could never do such a thing.
Righteousness? Nonsense.
I can make such an inference precisely because I experienced it firsthand.
And in all of that, the Manjol Physician must have been murdered as well.
The reason I knew nothing of this matter was likely because it was treated as a shameful secret of the Murim Alliance and thoroughly concealed.
That’s why the arson incident Gu Si had caused in my previous life also faded into obscurity.
I asked the Manjol Physician.
“Would Soulbound Herb not suffice?”
“Since they’re martial artists, medicines formulated for ordinary people don’t seem to work well.”
“What additional medicinal materials are needed?”
“Why? Will your trading company provide them?”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed awkwardly.
“Come now. Even if your trading company happened to possess Soulbound Herb, such fortune doesn’t continue indefinitely.”
“That’s true.”
“We need White Tiger Spirit to calm the rampaging inner energy, and Snowmelt Root to help the body absorb the medicine properly—surely your trading company doesn’t have such spirit herbs?”
….
Elder, it seems the Eunhae Trading Company is blessed with such continuous fortune.
As I grinned widely, the Manjol Physician flinched.
“What, what is it? Don’t tell me your trading company actually has those?”
Instead of answering, I posed a question in return.
“So, how much do you need?”
“Ahem, just one of each will suffice.”
“I see.”
The real problem was how to request them.
Those who had entered this place couldn’t simply leave.
There was also concern that word might spread to others because of the disciples who had come down to the Village Below the Mountain.
So measures needed to be taken regarding that as well.
“This is quite the predicament.”
“Indeed. We have the medicinal ingredients, but there’s no way to request them….”
As I was pondering this.
“Chirp?”
Geumryeong poked her head out from inside my sleeve, her tail wiggling as she pointed to herself.
“Hm? You?”
“Chirp chirp!”
“You’ll go and come back?”
“Chirp chirp!”
Since Geumryeong was a spirit creature, she wouldn’t spread the plague, but I still wondered if this small creature could make such a long journey.
“But you need to hurry back. Still, how will you manage alone….”
“Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp!”
“You can do it?”
Geumryeong nodded, her eyes sparkling with confidence.
“Alright then.”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I wrote a letter and tied it to Geumryeong’s tail.
“There. You can go now.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Geumryeong shot off faster than an arrow.
Whoosh—!
She disappeared from sight before I could even count to ten, and watching her go, I muttered to myself.
“Wow… she’s incredibly fast.”

And the next day.
“Chirp!”
Geumryeong returned.
A letter was tied to her tail, and I untied it and read it.

[Understood. I shall have the requested medicinal ingredients sent.]

It was Father’s reply letter.
Geumryeong had delivered the message properly.
According to Father’s response, the medicinal ingredients I had requested arrived about seven days later.
The Manjol Physician prepared the medicine, and those who took it gradually began to show signs of recovery.
.
.
.
For the first time in a while, I found myself with leisure.
The Manjol Physician and I sat in the front courtyard, gazing at the moon.
The autumn sky was high and crystalline.
The night sky was no different.
That’s why the moon shone so brilliantly.
The Mid-Autumn Festival would soon arrive.
“What do you intend to do for the Mid-Autumn Festival, sir?”
“Me?”
The Manjol Physician paused in thought before continuing.
“I’ll just treat patients here and there, perhaps enjoy some mooncakes—that sort of thing.”
He chuckled softly and turned his head away.
“People don’t stop falling ill just because it’s the Mid-Autumn Festival, after all.”
“That’s true enough.”
I nodded in agreement.
I don’t know why the Manjol Physician chose the path of a physician. But there must be some story behind it.
Perhaps that’s why he willingly undertakes such hardship?
In his previous life, when the Manjol Physician was murdered, what thoughts occupied his mind?
Did he regret his life?
Or perhaps….
I don’t know.
“But why are you asking that?”
“I was hoping that if you have the time, you might stay at our trading company for a while.”
“For free?”
I chuckled softly.
“Not for free. If word spreads that the Manjol Physician is staying at the Eunhae Trading Company, people will take notice.”
At my words, the Manjol Physician also chuckled softly.
He had seen through my true intentions.
“I’m curious about the Eunhae Trading Company myself. How is it that these miraculous medicines you mention keep appearing so readily?”
“It’s merely good fortune.”
I smiled as I answered, and the Manjol Physician grumbled at my response.
“Don’t smile like that. It’s endearing.”
“Haha.”
“But here’s the thing.”
Manjol Physician’s expression turned grave in an instant.
“No matter how I examine it, this plague spreading through the Hyungmun Sect is not a natural occurrence.”
“What?”
“There are clear traces of deliberate infection. Someone has definitely modified the plague circulating in Uichang and intentionally spread it here.”
“What?”
Anger resonated in Manjol Physician’s voice.
I was furious myself, so I could only imagine how he felt.
“Who in the world would do such a thing….”
“Do you have any suspects?”
“There aren’t many capable of this scale of operation. It’s either the Sichuan Tang Family or the Myogang Poison Sect.”
“….”
“But Myogang specializes in poison research. They couldn’t pull off something like this.”
“Then it must be the Sichuan Tang Family?”
“That’s my suspicion.”
Manjol Physician’s voice carried a bitter tone as he spoke.
That couldn’t be right.
The Sichuan Tang Family wouldn’t do such a thing.
They already faced public scrutiny for being a sect that uses poison.
Would they deliberately spread a plague on top of that?
Unless they were intent on complete annihilation, they would never commit such madness.
And even if they had orchestrated this, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t have seized control through this pretext—instead, they went so far as to burn everything….
Wait.
Honestly, after learning Gu Si’s story, I had been furious at what the Murim Alliance did.
Yet there was something that didn’t sit right with me.
If they could provide medicinal herbs to treat the plague, why go to such lengths?
They had no choice but to act as they did.
If this plague was the Murim Alliance’s doing.
They had conducted some kind of research here, and to bury that secret along with Manjol Physician who had uncovered it, that would have been their best option.
The plague they had researched on these sect members would be deadly to martial artists.
But then, what were they planning to use it for?
No, that’s not the priority right now.
I rose from my seat.
“Where are you going?”
“To catch the moon.”
“Huh?”
I pointed toward the moon as I spoke.
“Just as the moon gazes down upon this sect, aren’t there others watching us?”
“…!”
Manjol Physician, momentarily startled by my words, also rose from his seat.
“I see.”

* * *

Late into the night.
While everyone slept, someone moved about in secret.
He wore robes bearing the mark of Hyungmun—the insignia that identified him as a member of the Hyungmun Sect.
He glanced nervously at his surroundings as he moved.
After slipping out of the Pavilion, he raced down the Mountain Path until he reached a particular tree.
A tree standing beside rocky terrain.
He despised this narrow sect. He longed for a wider world beyond these confines.
He resented the master who had discovered him as a child and brought him to this sect—the master who had abandoned him here through death.
Then certain individuals had approached him.
The Murim Alliance.
Somehow, the Murim Alliance knew what he desired, and they planted dreams and illusions in his heart.
At first, he had been horrified when they asked him to spread plague throughout the sect where he had grown and learned martial arts.

“How could you ask me to do such a thing?”
“This is for the greater good.”
“What of my Senior Brothers and masters? And… my fellow disciples?”

Though he resented his master, he harbored no ill will toward the disciples he had trained alongside.
They shared bonds forged through years together.

“How can one achieve the greater good by indulging in such petty sentiments?”
“….”
“I promise you this—if you proceed with this task, I will ensure you become the Grand Master of the Murim Alliance.”

To become the Grand Master of the Murim Alliance required martial prowess at least at the peak level.
Grand Master—a position he had not yet reached!
Yet he took the bait.

“You are certain there will be no loss of life?”
“Of course. You need only record the progression of the illness in detail and leave it at the designated location.”

He withdrew a bamboo tube from his robes and placed it inside the tree hole.
It contained a report on the disease’s progression and documentation of the Manjol Physician’s treatment.
‘How many more times must I do this?’
As I turned my body with that thought.
“…!”
I was startled.
A handsome face stood directly before my eyes.
It was Eun Seo-ho, known as the Benevolent Swordsman.
Cold sweat dripped down my spine.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I, wh, what, wh, what….”
Then someone standing behind him moved. It was the Manjol Physician.
He retrieved the bamboo tube I had placed in the tree hole.
He extracted the report inside and read it, then clicked his tongue.
“You bastard, if you’re going to write it, write it properly—what kind of sloppy report is this?”
“….”
“Regardless, who ordered you to do this?”
“….”
Eun Seo-ho asked, but I did not answer.
“In exchange for spreading disease here and writing these reports, what were you promised?”
“….”
“Were you promised a position as a Dang Family leader?”
“…!”
I was shocked. It was too accurate.
“But do you truly believe they will keep that promise?”
“Of course they will!”
“What makes you so certain? Their reputation?”
“….”
“Have you never considered that they would erase this place entirely to protect that reputation? Including you.”
No.
That could not be.
They exist for the sake of justice in the Martial Arts World.

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