The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 117

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

The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company – Chapter 117

Chapter 117. The Mastermind Was Always Close By (2)

Lee Pil Warrior’s father was the younger brother of the previous House Master and uncle to the current House Master.
When he came to the Sichuan Tang Family Estate, he was already a collateral branch member.
Moreover, since his father had brought him from outside, he would have had almost no reason to enter the Inner Quarters.
So during his time at the Sichuan Tang Family Estate, he likely spent most of it here in the Outer Quarters.
He was mistreated here, bullied here in these Outer Quarters.
Which meant this place held painful memories for Lee Pil Warrior—a location that stirred up his suffering.
I approached Lee Pil Warrior and whispered softly.
“I apologize.”
“Pardon? What do you mean, my lord?”
“I failed to consider your feelings. I should have thought beforehand that these Outer Quarters would be a painful place for you…”
I continued.
“If it troubles you, you may retire to the Separate Pavilion instead.”
Lee Pil Warrior shook his head at my words.
“No, my lord. Truthfully, it pains me each time I see these places, but I’ve always wanted to come back here at least once. That’s why I’m grateful to you.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved, but…”
“Please don’t worry. If it becomes too difficult, I’ll tell you then.”
“Very well. Please do so if needed.”
As we were inspecting the Outer Quarters, a group of people approached from ahead.
A middle-aged woman and her attendants, it seemed.
From the clothes she wore, she appeared to be of considerable status.
However,
the moment Lee Pil Warrior saw her, his face became even more rigid and tense.
Seeing that reaction, I understood who she was.
Still, I should confirm just to be certain.
“Dang Su-bin, who is that person?”
“She is the first wife of my youngest uncle. Currently, my uncle is dispatched to the Murim Alliance, but my aunts remain here.”
“I see.”
Soon we drew near, and Dang Su-bin greeted her first with a bow.
Regardless of inner and outer quarters, the first aunt was clearly a senior in standing.
“Greetings, Aunt.”
“So you’re my nephew. And these companions beside you?”
“They are Eun Seo-ho, a great benefactor to our family, and his guard warriors.”
“I… see.”
She smiled. Then her gaze shifted to Lee Pil Warrior. That smile was subtle.
.
.
.
After touring the Outer Quarters, I headed to the last location—the Martial Training Ground.
“Actually, there’s much more to see here.”
I had to agree with that assessment.
The Sichuan Tang Family’s poison was spreading throughout the world.
In other words, it was inevitable that someone would be revealed as having leaked the Sichuan Tang Family’s poison.
The culprit had to pin their own actions on someone else, and the easiest place to do that was the Martial Training Ground, where the most people came and went.
The Inner Quarters had a limited number of residents, making it easy to identify the culprit.
I found no significant evidence in the Outer Quarters.
Whoever had passed information to the Murim Alliance about the Hyungmun Sect’s plague or the Mountain Poison that was meant to sabotage Jin-ho’s proclamation as a Small Merchant Guild Leader would have likely kept evidence of it in the Martial Training Ground with high probability.
I desperately hoped it would be found there.
Otherwise, I was in for a world of trouble.
Boom, boom, boom, boom….
Then I heard the sound of a drum echoing from far away.
“Perfect timing—it’s the Hour of the Monkey now. If we head to the Training Ground, you’ll get to see something entertaining.”
“Is it the warriors’ training time?”
She nodded at my question.
“That’s right. It’s regular training time, and today happens to be the Danhwa Guard’s training day.”
The eyes of the four guards sparkled with anticipation at her words.
To be honest, I was curious about the Danhwa Guard’s abilities myself.
“Would it be alright if we observed?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
We entered the Martial Training Ground.
The Martial Training Ground was surrounded by high walls, and buildings were arranged in orderly fashion within.
The layout resembled a Go board.
“Is this perhaps to quickly isolate certain areas in case of an accident?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Dang Su-bin nodded.
“A long time ago, an accident caused significant casualties. So they tore everything down and rebuilt it, or so I’ve heard.”
First, we arrived at the Training Ground located on the south side of the Martial Training Ground.
Upon entering the Training Ground, I was taken aback.
It was far more spacious than I had expected.
The Training Ground’s vastness meant that whenever there was an event, all the people of the Sichuan Tang Family gathered here.
Nearly thirty tiers of seating were stacked around the Training Ground’s perimeter.
A considerable number of people sat in various spots, looking down at the Training Ground.
We found suitable seats and sat down.
Then a group of warriors entered the Training Ground and began their training.
“Haaah—!”
“Ha!”
The force was stern and cutting as frost. The warrior’s aura I had witnessed in the Inner Quarters was no illusion on my part.
Tang Dae-jung had undoubtedly cultivated them to this level.
His death must have been an immense sorrow and loss for the Sichuan Tang Family.
“Do these training sessions occur regularly?”
Dang Su-bin answered my question.
“Every three days, each martial unit conducts public training. Today is the Danhwa Guard’s turn.”
“I see.”
I understood the purpose of these public demonstrations.
They were meant to strengthen the bonds between martial units and foster pride in the Sichuan Tang Family name.
And the Danhwa Guard’s true strength was surely far greater than what they displayed.
Warriors always possessed skills meant for public view and skills meant to remain hidden.
I was no exception.
Then my eyes caught sight of someone seated ahead of us.
Who was that?
Perhaps noticing my gaze, Dang Su-bin spoke.
“That’s my Third Elder Brother.”
Ah.
The one who became the Deputy House Master in my previous life.
I had not heard of the House Master position changing before my death.
And the most likely suspect in this incident.
.
.
.
“All units! Dismissed!”
Tang Dae-jung commanded before the Danhwa Guard warriors.
They echoed “Dismissed!” in unison, and the Danhwa Guard’s training came to an end.
Clap, clap, clap!
I offered them encouraging applause.
“That was truly impressive.”
“Wasn’t it?”
Pride for them resonated in Dang Su-bin’s words.
But then—
“Hm? Why is Tang Dae-jung approaching us?”
Tang Dae-jung was walking toward where we sat.
Though he was my uncle by blood, it seemed he preferred formal titles in public settings.
But why was he coming here?
He was looking at me… yes, that’s it.
Dang Su-bin quickly cupped her fists in salute.
“We greet the Danhwa Guard Master.”
Following her lead, I cupped my fists in salute as well.
“Eun Seo-ho, third son of the Eunhae Trading Company, pays respects to the Danhwa Guard Commander.”
The four guards accompanying me also bowed in unison, and Tang Dae-jung returned the salute.
“Danhwa Guard Commander Tang Dae-jung, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The honor is mine to meet the renowned Red Flame Sword King.”
“There’s no need for such flattery.”
“Not at all, sir.”
I quickly continued.
“That training session just now was truly enlightening.”
“Haha, I’m pleased to hear you say so.”
Tang Dae-jung laughed heartily.
“By the way, the House Master mentioned you to me—you’re the one who saved Jo Ung, aren’t you? The benefactor of our family?”
“It was merely a fortunate encounter.”
“Even so, saving someone requires courage, regardless of circumstance.”
Tang Dae-jung continued speaking.
“Were you touring the Main House?”
“Yes, sir. I made a rather bold request out of my own curiosity, and here I am touring the estate.”
“Having come this far means you’ve seen both the Inner Quarters and Outer Quarters. What are your impressions?”
“I felt as though I were witnessing camellias blooming through snow.”
“Is that so?”
Tang Dae-jung seemed satisfied with my answer.
“The two of you standing together make quite a fitting pair.”
At those words, Dang Su-bin’s face flushed crimson.
“Haha.”
I laughed inwardly, thinking to myself.
I needed to escape this situation quickly.
Just then, Dang Su-bin spoke.
“I apologize, but there are still many places left to tour, so we should take our leave now.”
“Ah! I’ve been thoughtlessly keeping you too long. Go ahead, then.”
“We shall withdraw now.”

* * *

Tang Dae-jung watched Eun Seo-ho and Dang Su-bin’s receding figures with a satisfied smile.
‘They make quite the pair, don’t they?’
And the man possessed the kind of handsome features capable of captivating a woman like Dang Su-bin.
‘Eighteen years old, was it? Already at his peak at that age….’
The moment Tang Dae-jung laid eyes on Eun Seo-ho, he could immediately discern the depth of his cultivation.
It was a union between a merchant house and a martial family rather than a martial clan, but that mattered little.
‘If such talent were to become part of the Sichuan Tang Family, it would be most reassuring.’
In truth, his interest in Eun Seo-ho stemmed from Dang Su-bin.
Dang Su-bin had been raised since childhood for poison cultivation.
This meant she had been ingesting toxins from a young age to build immunity.
Possessing such immunity was tantamount to harboring poison qi within one’s body.
Particularly since she had trained poison cultivation as her primary discipline, she carried an especially potent poison qi.
Of course, she herself maintained excellent control over her poison qi, and they wore special identity tokens that served as protective artifacts against such toxins.
Yet when in close contact, one could not help but be affected by it.
The reason Dang Su-bin remained unaware of this was that those who typically approached her possessed some degree of poison resistance.
In other words, this was her first encounter with an outsider.
Yet Eun Seo-ho showed no signs whatsoever of being affected by the poison.
He had not even complained of a headache.
It was truly remarkable.
‘Could his cultivation be even higher than I anticipated?’
The House Master had clearly anticipated this and deliberately entrusted the guidance of Eun Seo-ho’s party to Dang Su-bin.
‘What exactly is he scheming?’
Dang Su-bin had renounced marriage upon earnestly pursuing poison cultivation.
Yet now a man had appeared who was unaffected by her poison.
‘It would be wonderful if he could become her match.’
Tang Dae-jung’s earlier words about them making a fine pair were far from mere flattery.

* * *

Dang Su-bin smiled awkwardly.
“Actually, the Danhwa Guard Leader has another name. They call him the Moonlit Elder.”
“The Moonlit Elder? Do you mean the Old Man of the Moonlight?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“He treats matchmaking as a kind of calling.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, let’s properly tour the Martial Training Ground now.”
We began exploring the grounds, and I was struck once again by just how vast the Sichuan Tang Family Estate truly was.
As we wandered through the Martial Training Ground.
“…!”
I stopped in my tracks.
A familiar aura emanated from somewhere nearby.
It was the same aura I had felt from that poison technique at the Hyungmun Sect.
It’s here.
I turned to Dang Su-bin and asked.
“What is this place?”
“This is the Jisaeng Hall. It’s where they research poisons.”
“Does the House Master have any children working here?”
“Yes.”
Dang Su-bin nodded.
“My eldest brother works here.”
Her words caught me off guard.
The House Master’s eldest son works here?
Not the third son?
This changes my hypothesis entirely.
But it’s too early to jump to conclusions.
“Would it be possible to tour that place?”
“Well, there’s no reason it couldn’t be arranged, but you must be careful. If you’re bitten by a poison, it could be catastrophic.”
At her words, I turned to look at Palgap and my four guards.
I couldn’t put them in danger just because of my investigation.
“Then I’ll go in alone.”
“That won’t do.”
“As your guards, we have a duty to protect our lord.”
I nodded at their words.
“I understand. That’s precisely why I’m saying this.”
“My lord?”
I approached them and whispered softly.
“If something happens to all of you, who will save me?”
“Ah….”
Everyone seemed to understand and stepped back.
I turned my head and spoke to Dang Su-bin.
“Let’s go.”
“The entrance is this way.”
Following her guidance, I entered the Jisaeng Hall.
Inside, the space was filled with boxes riddled with small holes.
Papers were affixed to the boxes with labels, and from what I could see, they contained scorpions, snakes, centipedes, and similar creatures.
“The noteworthy specimen here is that one.”
Something writhed within a densely constructed cage.
A black snake.
But this snake had horns sprouting from its head.
Could it be…?
A Horned Viper?
At that moment, Dang Su-bin spoke.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Ah… yes.”
Calling that Horned Viper impressive…
The problem was that the energy I had sensed from the plague that swept through the Hyungmun Sect was now emanating from this Horned Viper’s cage.
That meant someone had hidden evidence within the cage of the Horned Viper…
“Would it be possible for me to enter that cage?”
Dang Su-bin shook her head as if it were difficult.
“That creature is quite ferocious. Only my eldest brother or the Trainer Elder can manage it.”

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