The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 120

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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 120

Chapter 120. The True Mastermind Was Always Close By (5)

Jo Woong came to the Separate Pavilion where I was staying.
During today’s Punishment Assembly, his expression had been tense, but now that the false accusation had been exposed, there was no reason for his mood to be anything but excellent.
He looked at me with gleaming eyes and asked.
“Are you really going to spend time with me today?”
“Yes.”
“I thought today wouldn’t work because of what happened this morning! I’m truly delighted.”
“I’m glad too.”
The enthusiasm radiating from Jo Woong was almost burdensome even for me.
Those eyes that gazed at me as if I were a legendary hero—they were burdensome too.
I wasn’t such a hero.
My agreement to spend time with Jo Woong today was also a form of using him, and my conscience pricked at me relentlessly.
I’m sorry, Jo Woong.
But there’s no choice.
This way, I can avoid drawing the attention of Dang Yeon-chil, the Deputy Commander.
If Dang Yeon-chil is the one who created the real evidence in my pocket, then he must also be the one who tested them.
If that’s the case, there must be a place where he conducted those tests.
Somewhere within the Sichuan Tang Family Estate.
To find that place, I must first avoid drawing the attention of Deputy Commander Dang Yeon-chil.
I plan to spend time with Jo Woong at the Sichuan Tang Family Estate while uncovering the dark intentions of Deputy Commander Dang Yeon-chil.
“Um… but sir.”
“What is it?”
“Would it be alright if Soo-bin sister spent time with us as well today?”
“With Dang Su-bin?”
“Yes.”
I was about to ask why, but something in my instincts told me not to ask.
“Very well, let’s do that.”
At my words, Jo Woong immediately sent his attendant.
After Jo Woong’s nursemaid died, they had attempted to bring in a new one, but Jo Woong had refused, or so I’d heard.
Well, it made sense—he had nearly been kidnapped by the nursemaid he trusted and followed, and she had died right before his eyes.
So an attendant had been assigned to him, and since the House Master had personally selected him, he must be trustworthy.
A short while later,
“To spend time with such a handsome gentleman! I’m truly delighted.”
“Do you not have pressing matters to attend to?”
“Not at all. Even if I did, I would come.”
She wore an expression of barely contained excitement.

I wandered through the Sichuan Tang Family Estate with Dang Su-bin and Tang Jo-ung in tow, exploring its various corners.
Those who had initially regarded us with curious eyes soon lost interest, thinking we were simply taking a leisurely tour.
Exactly as I intended.
As I continued my exploration, I eventually arrived at a place devoid of people.
A location I had not yet visited.
At first glance, it resembled the entrance to the back garden, yet the atmosphere felt distinctly ominous.
“What is this place? Where are we?”
Dang Su-bin answered my question.
“I didn’t come here yesterday due to lack of time. In truth, this is a rather dangerous place for outsiders.”
“Dangerous, you say?”
“Haven’t you wondered, sir? Where does the Sichuan Tang Family obtain things like the Poison-Horned Snake or toxic plants that yield poisons?”
“Could it be? Is this where such things are obtained?”
“Precisely.”
I gazed upon the crimson gate before me.
A plaque affixed to the gate bore the characters [Bomanlim].
It meant “forest filled with treasures.”
One might assume precious metals and jewels lay hidden within, but this is the Sichuan Tang Family.
For them, treasure means the materials used in poison crafting.
“I understand now why this place was not shown to me.”
This was a place to pass without hesitation or lingering attachment.
If Dang Su-bin deemed it dangerous, then it truly was.
Yet as I read the name Bomanlim, something stirred in my memory.
In my previous life, the fact that Dang Yeon-chil, the Third Young Master, had become the acting House Master of the Sichuan Tang Family, surpassing both the First and Second Young Masters, had been the subject of considerable gossip.
Consequently, various rumors circulated about this matter, and I had gathered and analyzed as many as I could.
While rumors are often unreliable, truth frequently hides within them.
Among those rumors was one concerning Bomanlim.

“You know, that newly appointed Third Young Master? They say he cultivated his skills through personal training in a secluded forest?”
“I heard that his secret training ground was that forest where the Sichuan Tang Family had hidden treasures for generations, and that he obtained hidden martial secrets there.”

Regardless of the truth behind those rumors, based solely on what was openly revealed, the forest where Dang Yeon-chil’s deputy commander had been seen coming and going was undoubtedly Bomanlim Forest.
A forest where treasures were hidden and a forest brimming with treasures held considerable connection.
And if rumors circulated that he conducted personal training here, it meant he frequented this place quite often.
That meant there was something here.
So I had to venture into this forest.
Ah, damn it.
It was so gloomy—I really didn’t want to go in.
Moreover, having heard Dang Su-bin’s warning made me even more reluctant.
Yet I had a strong premonition that only by entering this forest could I unmask Dang Yeon-chil’s true face.
I asked Dang Su-bin.
“May I enter here?”
“Pardon?”
She asked back in surprise.
“You’re going inside?”
“Yes. I’m personally curious about what’s in there. Is that not possible?”
At my words, Dang Su-bin hesitated slightly.
“I apologize. I feel I’ve made an unreasonable request of you….”
“No, that’s not it.”
She shook her head.
“The First District and this area are places even Jo Woong can go to, so that much should be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“But you mustn’t stray from me. And take the cord of the special identification token I gave you, lengthen it, and wear it around your neck so it makes direct contact with your skin.”
“Why is that?”
Dang Su-bin explained to my question.
“Actually, the special identification token is made from poison-antidote material. Normally you’d have to hold it in your mouth, but it has quite a potent poison-antidote effect, so merely touching it to your skin provides detoxification.”
So that’s why she’d warned me never to lose the special identification token—it possessed such properties.
“Carrying it on your body alone blocks a certain degree of poison, but having it touch your skin is more reliable.”
“Then wouldn’t simply holding it in your hand be sufficient?”
“That’s true. But we’re warriors who must fight with our hands, and since we don’t know what might happen in there, it’s better to keep both hands free.”
“I see.”
After that, she gave me several more precautions.
“Remember what I say.”
“Yes. I will.”
“Then, let’s go in.”
We entered Bomanlim Forest.
I glanced behind me.
Three Guards followed behind me. Yeo Eung-am Warrior was currently at the Separate Pavilion.
I couldn’t rule out the possibility of an uninvited visitor while searching for the real evidence that had vanished.
Lee Pil Warrior.
Seo-woo Warrior.
And Jin Yu Warrior.
Both are steadfast allies who guard my back with unwavering support.
Revealing all the facts to them carries risk, yet I realized it would be disrespectful to them to struggle alone, floundering about without their aid.
Palgap felt the same frustration.
I decided to accept their help and immediately sent a telepathic message.
– Simply listen.
“…!”
Their eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
– I am currently searching for a hidden secret space within this forest.
– Any trace will do. If you discover anything that appears to be evidence of a secret space, report it to me.
– However, you must conduct this in absolute secrecy. But do not strain yourselves by breaking formation. If you come to harm, I would grieve deeply.
They answered my telepathic message with a subtle nod.

The forest was profoundly silent.
Not even the sound of insects could be heard. That eerie stillness felt distinctly unnatural.
Yet it seemed this sensation was not mine alone.
“Hmm? That’s strange?”
“My lady, the insects are not singing.”
I asked in response to that exchange.
“Do insects normally sing here?”
“Yes. This place has not only venomous insects but also many common ones. So when you enter here, the sound of insects usually greets you first—but this is strange.”
She furrowed her brow.
“When insects stop singing, it means a predator stronger than them has appeared, doesn’t it?”
“My lady, I don’t see any snakes either.”
“There are many snakes in this place.”
“Yes. There are quite a few snakes, and they’ve been very helpful in my poison research. But strangely, I don’t see any snakes now. Could it be that a new venomous creature has appeared?”
Dang Su-bin and Jo Woong-i tilted their heads in confusion.
But I somehow sensed the reason.
I recalled how yesterday, the moment the Poison-Horned Snake and I locked eyes at its cage, it trembled with fear and fled to the corner.
At the time, I thought it might be because of Geumryeong in my sleeve, but Geumryeong seemed comfortable inside and rarely emerged.
And the Poison-Horned Snake had coiled and fled precisely when our eyes met.
So was it truly because of me?
The likelihood was quite substantial.
But why?
The most probable explanation was my Hyun Ryong Constitution.
Dragons are sovereigns, beings of dominion.
Could it be that my Hyun Ryong Constitution possessed something unknown even to me?
Now that I think about it, I had never seen insects, whether in Sichuan or when I visited Yunnan.
Hmm….
That’s rather convenient.
I let out a quiet chuckle. So as long as I remained in this forest, we were safe.
But if Dang Su-bin, unaware of this fact, judged it dangerous and insisted on turning back, that would be troublesome.
“Well, that’s certainly possible. There’s no law saying insects must chirp or snakes must appear, is there?”
“True enough.”
“And surely there’s someone managing this place? If anything had happened, they would have reported it to the family first.”
“That makes sense.”
The two of them nodded in agreement and resumed walking.
After walking for about a quarter hour, a set of stone stairs came into view ahead of us.
As we climbed the hill along those stairs, I heard Jin Yu Warrior’s voice transmission.
– My lord, I have something to report.
– Speak.
– I’ve discovered suspicious footprints.
He continued his transmission.
– The footprints were below the stairs, but they ended at the side of the staircase.
At those words, I stopped in my tracks.
Not in front of the stairs, but ending at the side—to explain this required one crucial premise.
That the side of the stairs had been the destination from the beginning.
Truly, Jin Yu Warrior was remarkable.
Specializing in pursuit and assassination, his eye for detail was extraordinary.
– Thank you. Thanks to you, I believe we’re about to discover something very important.
I called out to Dang Su-bin.
“My apologies, miss.”
“Yes?”
“It seems I may have dropped something near the stairs. Would you mind if we went back to retrieve it?”
“It can’t be helped.”
We retraced our steps back to where the stairs began. Then, as if searching for an object, I made my way toward the side of the staircase.
Indeed, there were very faint footprints along the side of the stairs.
Footprints here meant the mechanism was on this side?
I examined the side of the stairs carefully. Then Jin Yu Warrior pointed to a spot.
– It’s here.
Among the countless ordinary stones stacked along the staircase’s side, only one bore visible wear.
I pressed it.
In that instant,
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble.
The stone blocks before me slid sideways all at once, revealing an entrance wide enough for two people to pass through.
It was only natural that Dang Su-bin and Jo Woong-i were startled by this.
“What? What is that?”
“A, a cave is here.”
I feigned ignorance as I spoke.
“From your reaction, it seems you two are seeing this for the first time as well.”
“Yes.”
“I had no idea.”
“Shall we go inside?”
At those words, Dang Su-bin’s Maidservant tried to stop her.
“Miss. One should not enter unfamiliar places carelessly.”
“But I’m curious. It’s fine. We’re still in the First District, so there’s nothing dangerous.”
“That may be true, but….”
“You go and call the others.”
“Understood.”
The maidservant sighed and left Bomanlim Forest to gather the people.
“Then let us go inside.”
“You as well, Gong the Craftsman?”
“Yes. Jo Woong is dangerous, so he should stay here. That means you would have to go alone, but how could I let the young lady venture in by herself?”
At my words, Dang Su-bin’s face flushed slightly.
“Exploring an unfamiliar place with a handsome man. How thrilling.”
“….”
I let out an awkward cough.
“Let us go.”
We left Jo Woong, Jo Woong-i’s Attendant, Lee Pil Warrior, and Palgap outside, then entered within.

The space was damp with moisture.
But luminescent pearls were embedded throughout, making it easy to move about.
Torches require constant maintenance and produce smoke that must escape outside, so it seems they used these expensive gems instead.
How far had we walked?
“Oh?”
Dang Su-bin’s eyes widened, and I smiled.
It seemed I had found it correctly.

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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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