The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 106

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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 106

Chapter 106. Manjol Physician (7)

Ji-un reflected on his own foolishness.
He was truly an idiot.
A chill ran down his spine at the realization that his mistake had nearly caused the sect members to burn alive.
‘What on earth have I done…’
Only now, facing death, could he awaken from his stupor.
It felt like waking from a fleeting dream.
But it was already too late.
The blade had been shot with such speed that he could neither counterattack nor evade.
And so he would…
At least, if this could serve as atonement…
He closed his eyes.
Clang!
Yet an unexpected clash of steel rang out, and when he opened his eyes, he was startled.
“Sect Leader!”
The Sect Leader stood before him.
His expression was cold and stern—a far cry from the benevolent smile he usually wore, whether things went one way or another.
“Whoever you are, I will not allow you to lay a hand on a disciple of the Hyungmun Sect.”
Ji-un realized that the Sect Leader had saved him from the Black-Robed Assassin’s attack, and his face showed his shock.
Meanwhile, the Black-Robed Assassin spoke in a cold voice.
“For your information, the disciple you just saved is the one who deliberately spread plague throughout your Hyungmun Sect.”
“I know.”
At those words, Ji-un was shocked once more.
He knew!
And yet he had still saved him.
“What of it? Whether I like him or not, he is a disciple I must bear responsibility for.”
“Truly admirable.”
“Judging by your tone, your master is not the same way, is he?”
“…”
The Black-Robed Assassin could not respond.
The master he knew showed no mercy when a task failed.
And so…
Whoosh!
The Black-Robed Assassin kicked off the ground and swung his blade toward the Sect Leader.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Within mere exchanges, the Black-Robed Assassin understood.
The gap in martial prowess between himself and the Sect Leader was staggering.
Yet he could not simply retreat.
Then the Sect Leader spoke to him.
“Are you prepared to die?”
“….”
“So you are. Then I ask of you—tell me what you know.”
“…If I tell you, what will you do for me? I am already a dead man.”
“I will allow you to fight as a warrior with honor, not as an assassin.”
At his words, the Black-Robed Assassin laughed softly.
In truth, he had never wished to live as an assassin.
Having once been a true warrior, he had grown weary of this shadowed existence.
Thus he accepted the offer.
“Very well. What I know is little, but….”
I revealed what I knew. As I said, there were only a few pieces of information.
That the Hyungmun Sect had displeased the Murim Alliance Leader.
That the plague afflicting the Hyungmun Sect was created by the Sichuan Tang Family, as the Manjol Physician had deduced.
That the Alliance Leader had grown furious at the failure of this scheme, among other things.
“This is all the information I possess.”
“It is sufficient.”
The Black-Robed Assassin continued.
“So what shall we do now?”
“What can we do? We can only live as we have, acknowledging that such things occurred.”
The Sect Leader continued.
“Surely the Alliance Leader had his reasons for acting as he did.”
“….”
The Sect Leader drew his blade and spoke to him.
“Draw your sword. And you must give your all.”
The Black-Robed Assassin nodded and drew his blade to meet him.
“I am Do Jin, Sect Leader of the Hyungmun Sect. What is your name?”
“My name is… Yeon Gye-seung.”
In that instant, a profound silence fell over the surroundings, so complete that even breathing seemed cautious.
After approximately half an hour had passed.
Slash—!
Clash—!
Both figures vanished, then reappeared on opposite sides.
The Sect Leader raised his sleeve.
Half of it was severed. Seeing this, the Sect Leader laughed heartily.
“Go well, Warrior Yeon Gye-seung.”
He collapsed.
He knelt down.
Then, with a smile, he continued speaking.
“Thank you… I am grateful. To have such a Sect Leader… I envy you.”
At that same moment, his body collapsed.
The Sect Leader looked at him and turned his head toward Ji-un.
“Your senior brothers and fellow disciples are worried about you.”
“Pardon?”
“They say your behavior has been strange lately.”
“S-strange? But I have been acting as I always do.”
“We have lived together in the sect for years, clashing and bickering with one another—how could you not notice?”
“….”
“I simply thought there must be some reason behind it.”
At those words, Ji-un finally collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly.
“I am sorry. I… I… waaah….”
“Come now, rise. The ground is cold.”
“Sect Leader… sob….”
“Hehehehe.”
The Sect Leader gathered wood and kindled a fire. Soon, acrid smoke began to spread in all directions.

* * *

Upon the tree.
I watched the scene unfold below.
The Sect Leader of the Hyungmun Sect was truly a good man.
A paragon of benevolence itself.
The Sect Leader lifted his gaze and looked at me. I nodded in acknowledgment.
The Sect Leader headed toward the pavilion with his disciple Ji-un, and only then did I descend from the tree.
Thud.
Then I approached the fallen Yeon Gye-seung.
The logs were burning, but not to cremate Yeon Gye-seung’s corpse—rather, to create that very illusion.
Yeon Gye-seung was not yet dead.
The Sect Leader had not killed him.
After all, he had promised to let him fight fairly as a warrior rather than as an assassin, not to let him die—so he had not broken his word.
Seeing such things, the Sect Leader is truly the Sect Leader.
I recalled the silent transmission the Sect Leader had sent to me while I was in the tree.

– What a waste of talent. How could I refuse? Though he came to kill my disciple, it seems not of his own will.
“….”
– I shall obscure the vision of those watching us with this smoke.

I nodded in acknowledgment.
Thus the performance began.
After confirming that those who had been watching this place had departed and vanished, I descended from the tree.
I hoisted the collapsed Yeon Gye-seung onto my shoulder.
The Elder will surely have words for me about this.
Yet as I watched this man’s swordplay unfold, a peculiar thought struck me.
It resembled the sword techniques I had been learning.
Surely it was merely my imagination.
.
.
.
Several days later.
The time had come for Manjol Physician and me to depart from the Hyungmun Sect.
We could not remain here indefinitely.
To the martial artists who had come seeking us, I decided to provide a medicinal formula documenting the method of preparing the remedy.
For our supply of ingredients had been exhausted, and we could not endlessly provide medicine.

The Sect Leader presented both Manjol Physician and me with jade tokens.
“What is this?”
“It is a token we bestow upon those who have rendered great service to our Hyungmun Sect. It is also a symbol of our willingness to aid you should you ever require our assistance.”
Faced with his resolute gaze that brooked no refusal, I had no choice but to accept the jade token into my possession.
“And as the Great Hero advised, we shall maintain silence regarding this matter.”
“A wise decision.”
The Hyungmun Sect is a small faction.
Should such an incident occur again, none could predict what would become of us, so we resolved to keep our heads down.
This is why, when conversing with Yeon Gye-seung, I had said that the League Master must have had his reasons for acting thus.
Yet that carried no implication of submission.
When the time comes, I shall bare my fangs.

As I emerged from the Sect Leader’s quarters, a young disciple came scurrying toward me.
It was the child who had been delighted to receive the name Gu Hui.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. It’s time for me to go.”
“Please visit us again next time.”
“Of course. Make sure you eat well, sleep well, and practice diligently. Understood?”
“Yes.”
The child nodded.
“And I received my name today.”
“You did?”
“Yes. My name is Gu Hui.”
Gu Hui—a light that rescues others. That was the meaning behind it.
“It’s a fine name.”
As I crossed the courtyard, I caught sight of the disciple Ji-un.
He had apparently agreed to take responsibility for cleaning the latrines for the next thirty years.
It was a punishment he had imposed upon himself.
Thus, Manjol Physician and my entourage departed the Hyungmun Sect, escorted to the gate by its members.
.
.
.
We reunited with the rest of our party who had been waiting in Uichang.
Seven days later.
We finally arrived at the Eunhae Trading Company.
A crowd of people had gathered before the headquarters like clouds.

“Form a line, please!”
“Seolhon Grass this way! Baekryeong Grass this way! Seolsam over there!”
“All other medicinal herbs go here!”
“Hey! I said form a line! Keep this up and the fearsome warriors will come running!”
“You there! No cutting in line!”
“The auction will begin shortly!”

Fortunately, we had entered through the rear gate, so we managed to slip into the Merchant Guild Headquarters without pushing through the crowds.
“We are grateful for the safe return of the Lord and your companions.”
Having received advance notice, Yeochang’s Deputy from Hyunpung and several others came to greet us.
“But what on earth is all this… about?”
“It is all thanks to the Immortal Swordmaster, the Lord.”
Ugh, so the title “Immortal Swordmaster” had spread even here.
“Pardon? You say it is thanks to me?”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
“The truth is this.”
The Warrior explained the full story—upon hearing that the medicinal herbs needed to treat the plague spreading through Uichang and the Hyungmun Sect were in the possession of the Eunhae Trading Company, people had come flocking from all over the realm.
“Therefore, the Merchant Guild Leader and other family members have been moving about without a moment’s rest.”
“So that is why they could not come to greet us.”
“Indeed. But who is the person beside you?”
I smiled wryly.
“This is the Manjol Physician.”
“Gasp!”
Yeochang’s Deputy was startled and bowed deeply.
“It is an honor to meet such a renowned physician.”
“I am the Deputy of Yeochang under the Lord who governs Hyunpung.”
“A pleasure.”
I turned to Yeochang’s Deputy and asked.
“Father is inside, is he not?”
“Yes.”
I spoke to those who had accompanied me.
“You have all worked hard. Please return and rest well. We are dismissed.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Thus the group dispersed.
What remained were Palgap, two Guard Warriors, and the bamboo-hatted Warrior who had followed me.
I spoke to them.
“I will go see Father first, so head to Mun Gok Hall ahead of time.”
“Understood.”
I proceeded with the Manjol Physician toward Father’s office.

* * *

Upon arriving at Mun Gok Hall, they unpacked their belongings.
“Excuse me, Warrior?”
“Yes.”
“I think it would be best if you bathed first.”
At Palgap’s suggestion, he entered the bathhouse with fresh clothes in hand.
As I washed away the grime with warm water, I finally grasped the reality—I had come to the Eunhae Trading Company, not the Murim Alliance.
My name was Yeon Gye-seung.
I had been an assassin serving the Murim Alliance Leader.
But that name was no longer usable. I had chosen to live as a different person now.
I had sparred with the Hyungmun Sect Leader, and when I opened my eyes, a handsome young man stood beside me.
And he had made me an extraordinary proposal.
To help me live a new life—not as an assassin, but as someone else.
When I asked his reason, the young man—Eun Seo-ho—smiled and answered.
“This is not my kindness, but the Sect Leader’s generosity. So ask him when we meet next time.”
I decided to accept his offer.
After all, I was already a dead man.
Since I was destined to die anyway, I resolved to be a little more greedy.
I wanted to live boldly and freely, even if only for days or months.
If I were being even greedier, I wished to find him—if he were still alive.
I wanted to tell him what happened that day.
For now, I alone knew the truth of what occurred that day.

* * *

Father welcomed Manjol Physician with utmost hospitality.
Watching as Manjol Physician was guided to his quarters by the Deputy Officer, I turned my attention back to Father.
“So, are you pleased to have earned the title of Immortal Healer?”
“It feels burdensome.”
“Nevertheless, guard it well. Such titles are not bestowed upon just anyone.”
“I intend to polish it until it shines, regardless.”
Father chuckled warmly at my words.
“To be honest, when you were emptying our trading company’s medicinal inventory, I couldn’t fathom your intentions. But you had a plan all along.”
“Father?”
“Once word spread that we possessed elixirs—remedies that had previously sold poorly—crowds descended upon us. Not only are they an effective cure for this plague, but taking them preventatively ensures one never contracts the illness.”
Such properties did indeed exist.
“How much profit did we earn?”
Father disclosed the revenues generated from the elixir auction.
“Pardon?”
Upon hearing the figure, I fell silent for a long moment.
“Is that… truly accurate? We earned that much?”
“Quite handsomely indeed.”
Father’s cheeks rose toward the heavens in an enormous grin.
I had anticipated rumors spreading that our company possessed medicinal supplies, but I had not foreseen such vast sums being spent to acquire them.
“This is all thanks to you.”
“Is it merely the power of reputation?”
“No. Our trading company has gained something invaluable because of you—trust. In the trade of elixirs, what matters most is trust, is it not?”
I laughed softly.
Through this affair, our trading company had acquired something more precious than anything else.
Trust itself.

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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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