The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 108

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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 108

Chapter 108. A Gift for Elder Brother Jin-ho (2)

The three warriors were startled upon seeing Go Il-pyeong and quickly cupped their fists in salute.
It made sense—I hadn’t mentioned that the External Chief Manager would be coming today, so their surprise was understandable.
I smiled faintly and spoke.
“Since the External Chief Manager has arrived, let’s not hold back. Come at me with everything you have.”
The three warriors’ gazes fixed upon me.
This prickling sensation was probably just my imagination.
And so the martial contest between the three warriors began.
.
.
.
After roughly an hour had passed, Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Lee Pil Warrior wore expressions of utter astonishment.
“This… this can’t be…”
“Impossible…”
And before them stood Jin Yu Warrior, composed and confident.
His breathing was only slightly disturbed.
In today’s contest, Jin Yu Warrior had defeated the two warriors with ease.
Go Il-pyeong, who had been observing the spectacle, chuckled and spoke.
“So this is Jin Yu Warrior?”
“Yes.”
“Impressive. To have reached such a mature peak at that age…”
Jin Yu Warrior didn’t know his exact age but estimated he was in his late twenties.
The fact that he had already reached a mature peak at such an age spoke volumes about his talent.
Either that, or he had trained with extraordinary intensity.
In truth, I had anticipated today’s outcome.
After all, this was the skill of someone who had cut the sleeve of the Hyungmun Sect Leader’s robe.
Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Lee Pil Warrior were no slouches either, but they remained at the first-rate level, nothing more.
At that moment, Yeo Eung-am Warrior cupped his fists toward me.
“I have a request for you, my lord.”
“A request? What might that be?”
“Please grant me personal training time.”
At those words, Lee Pil Warrior also cupped his fists.
“I too humbly request the same.”
Currently, all three warriors serve as my guards together.
However, this arrangement could be considered inefficient.
“Then let us proceed in this manner.”
I gathered my thoughts for a moment before continuing.
“While you mention the need for protection, my movements are confined to the Separate Pavilion, the Office, and the Marketplace Street—unless something extraordinary arises.”
They nodded at my words.
“And truthfully, protection is most needed when I venture to the Marketplace Street.”
I continued.
“So I propose dividing each day into three equal periods, with the three of you taking turns as my guards. The remaining time can be devoted to your personal cultivation. What do you think?”
At my suggestion, they exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
“We are grateful for your consideration.”
“Not at all. This arrangement benefits me as well.”
I continued.
“The stronger you all become, the safer I will be, will I not?”
And it would prove useful in many ways….
In any case, the day concluded in this manner.

The next day.
Master’s expression remained serene. I began to wonder if what I had seen yesterday was merely my imagination.
After completing my training, I steadied my breathing.
Today’s training had been grueling, but I could not complain, having reaped the benefits of the cultivation I had undertaken at the Hyungmun Sect.
“You have worked hard. We shall conclude here for today.”
“I am grateful for your instruction.”
Master nodded at my bow, then spoke as casually as one discussing the weather.
“Thank you for sparing Jin Yu Warrior and granting him a second chance.”
“Do you know him?”
Master nodded at my question.
“It was a connection from long ago.”
“I see.”
For some reason, I hesitated to inquire further.
Master’s words continued.
“I shall depart on a journey of wandering beginning tomorrow.”
“What? You said nothing of this yesterday.”
“The decision came suddenly.”
“I understand. Then you will not be able to attend Jin-ho’s announcement ceremony as the Small Merchant Guild Leader?”
“That is correct. Please convey my congratulations in my stead.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I do not know the exact reason Master suddenly decided to depart on this journey.
But it seemed the reason stemmed from his conversation with Jin Yu Warrior yesterday.
Should I ask him directly?
“Ah… and one more thing.”
“Yes.”
“I hope you won’t trouble Jin Yu Warrior unnecessarily. When the time comes, I’ll explain everything myself.”
Caught in my own thoughts, I simply smiled awkwardly and nodded.
.
.
.
That afternoon.
With a spare moment, I seized the opportunity to venture to the Marketplace in search of a gift for Eun Jung-ho.
Now it was Jin Yu Warrior’s turn to serve as my escort.
“Please accompany me for a brief errand.”
“I shall follow. Should I summon Palgap as well?”
“If I don’t, he’ll sulk, won’t he?”
“Indeed, he likely will.”
Shortly after, Palgap received word and arrived at my office.
“I’m here, Young Master.”
“Good, let’s go.”
The place I sought for Eun Jung-ho’s gift was not the Miscellaneous Goods Shop on West Street.
My destination was the Blacksmith Workshop.
It stood roughly between East Street, where cheaper goods were sold, and West Street, the Entertainment District—the Yeom Family Blacksmith.
Since the Yeom Family had operated the blacksmith workshop for generations, it bore their name.
Though they typically crafted and sold farming implements like hoes and sickles, their true specialty was weapons.
Spears in particular were their forte.
That was precisely why I had come.
To commission a spear as a gift for Eun Jung-ho.
Every person has a weapon that fits their hand best, and in my judgment, a spear suited Eun Jung-ho perfectly.
The External Chief Manager had taught us to wield every manner of weapon in preparation for unforeseen circumstances.
Thus, both Eun Jung-ho and Eun Jung-ho could handle virtually any weapon.
And once one became a Small Merchant Guild Leader, they would select the single weapon that suited them best and begin serious training.
Eun Jung-ho had chosen the sword first.
The External Chief Manager had personally recommended the spear to Eun Jung-ho, and that alone spoke volumes of his discerning eye.
But initially, Eun Jung-ho had chosen the sword, likely because it seemed more impressive.
The External Chief Manager had regretted the choice but did not force the spear upon him.
However, as Eun Jung-ho spent more time alongside Jung Chung, he eventually took up the spear again.
Some five years later, Eun Jung-ho seemed to realize that his compatibility with the spear was remarkably strong.
From that point forward, he began training with the spear and displayed extraordinary talent.
The reason Eun Jung-ho would later be called the Crimson Spear of Hubei Province was not solely due to his righteous nature.
It was because he wielded the spear with breathtaking skill.
Eun Jung-ho’s beloved steed was also, coincidentally, crimson in color.
Eun Jung-ho astride that red horse, spear in hand, looked exactly like the legendary Crimson Spear.
“Eh? Young Master, isn’t this the Yeom Family Blacksmith?”
We soon arrived at the workshop, and Palgap tilted his head in puzzlement.
“Yes, that’s right.”
I stepped into the blacksmith workshop, where the clang of metal rang out loudly, and a woman greeted me upon seeing my arrival.
She was the mistress of the blacksmith workshop.
“Welcome, Small Merchant Guild Leader.”
“Hello.”
Perhaps because I had been conducting many external activities, the mistress recognized me.
“Small Merchant Guild Leader, what brings you to such a humble place? You should have simply summoned us.”
“I hesitated to call upon busy people to come and go. Besides, humble? This is where objects that benefit people are born.”
“I appreciate you saying so.”
I continued with a smile.
“I wish to meet the master.”
“He has just begun his work, so you may need to wait for about an hour….”
And she glanced at my expression.
I nodded.
“We mustn’t disturb the master while he’s concentrating. I’ll wait a moment.”
And I went to sit beneath a nearby tree.
“Aren’t you hot?”
At Jin Yu Warrior’s question, I nodded.
“The heat is quite intense, isn’t it?”
Though it was October and the wind carried a chill, the blazing heat from the blacksmith’s furnace was formidable.
I felt no discomfort from the heat even there, but I had come to this spot because Palgap and Jin Yu Warrior seemed to be suffering.
As we rested briefly, an elderly man with snow-white hair emerged from the blacksmith workshop and approached us.
“I heard you were looking for this old Yeom.”
I quickly straightened my posture and clasped my fist in salute.
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company. It is an honor to meet you, Master.”
“You show excessive courtesy to this lowly old man.”
“It is only proper to show respect to one who has achieved mastery through skill.”
At my words, Master Yeom smiled with genuine pleasure.
I show proper respect to those who deserve it, just as I speak.
Master Yeom is indeed one worthy of my respect.
And his demeanor changes depending on the attitude and bearing of the other person.
Courteous to the courteous, dismissive to the worthless, and fierce to the violent.
A lifetime spent working with fire and steel had shaped his character in kind.
In truth, this old man has considerable backing.
Though even without that backing, he’s the sort to crack the skulls of worthless fellows.
In my previous life, when I learned that such a person existed in this place, it was already too late.
“You honor me with such words, and this old man knows not where to place himself. But what brings you to seek me out?”
“I came because I heard you craft spears exceptionally well, Master.”
“Spears… you say?”
“Yes.”
“Will the Small Merchant Guild Leader be using this?”
“No. My Second Brother will become the Small Merchant Guild Leader this time. So I’m planning to give it to him as a gift.”
“I see.”
I pulled out a piece of paper from my sleeve and handed it over.
“I’d like you to make it exactly as shown here.”
Master Yeom examined the spear design I’d presented and nodded.
“It doesn’t seem particularly difficult.”
The spear drawn on the paper was one that Eun Jung-ho had custom-made for himself in my previous life.
Even now, there were aspects I regretted, but if Eun Jung-ho had trained with the spear just five years earlier, he would have undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of mastery.
So what I was gifting wasn’t merely a spear.
I was gifting him the pinnacle of mastery itself.
If Eun Jung-ho had reached that pinnacle when I died, he wouldn’t have perished so meaninglessly.
“Understood. But what material should this spear be made from? As you know, the higher the quality, the greater the cost….”
I pulled out a pouch I’d prepared in advance from my pocket and handed it over.
“Here is the commission fee.”
Master Yeom accepted the pouch, opened it, and took several steps backward in shock.
“This, this is….”
“Is it insufficient?”
“What?! Are you joking? Insufficient?! Ha!”
Master Yeom was so startled that his true nature slipped through.
“With this, I could forge a legendary spear worthy of The Realm itself, and you’re saying something like that….”
“Then make it. A legendary spear worthy of The Realm.”

Thus I commissioned Master Yeom to create the gift for Eun Jung-ho.

On the way back to the Eunhae Trading Company.
I reflected on what would unfold at Eun Jung-ho’s announcement ceremony as the new Small Merchant Guild Leader.
Eun Jung-ho was the prized disciple and adopted son of Go Il-pyeong.
Because of this, the invited guests would be somewhat different from usual.
Many martial artists who had some acquaintance with Eun Jung-ho were invited to fill the seats.
That was the problem.
It was a problem that wouldn’t have arisen if martial artists hadn’t been invited.
But Eun Jung-ho didn’t quite fit the mold of a Trading Company man.
He preferred discussing martial arts with martial artists far more than discussing the company’s profits.
I didn’t want to be the ungracious younger brother who robbed my elder of his joy. So I had to take action myself.
This time, Eun Jung-ho’s announcement ceremony as Small Merchant Guild Leader would proceed without any problems, unlike in my previous life.

* * *

Time passed.
The Eunhae Trading Company was bustling with activity.
Tomorrow would be the proclamation ceremony for Jin-ho’s appointment as Small Merchant Guild Leader.
I headed to the Yeom Family Blacksmith with Lee Pil Warrior.
When I arrived at the blacksmith workshop, Master Yeom greeted me personally.
“How did you know I would come now?”
“I had a feeling you would.”
“Is the spear complete?”
At my question, Master Yeom broke into a satisfied smile.
“Hehehehe. Please wait a moment.”
He then brought out a long box and placed it on the table.
Thud.
Its weight was unmistakable.
As I opened the lid, a spear gleamed with a subtle blue radiance, as if reflecting moonlight itself.
It was an odd word to use for a weapon, but I found myself thinking it was beautiful.
However, characters were engraved on the shaft of the spear.
Azure Dragon’s Dance?
“Master, what do these characters mean? There was nothing like this in the drawing I provided.”
“Ah, that? It is the name of this weapon.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The night before I completed it, I had the most extraordinary dream. You see, an azure dragon was dancing. But as it danced, it struck a boulder like lightning, and when I drew closer to look, the azure dragon had vanished—and this spear was embedded in the rock instead.”
Master Yeom continued.
“People usually call such things the will of heaven. So I gave the spear that name.”
“I see…”
I was taken aback.
In my previous life, the spear that Jin-ho wielded was named Azure Dragon’s Dance.
Was this truly the will of heaven?

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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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