The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 145

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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 145

Chapter 145. Cleaning Out the Front Courtyard (5)

Taiyin.
Was it mere coincidence that the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art came to mind the moment I saw that character?
The Old Bookkeeper had approached without my noticing.
“You looking to buy that martial arts manual?”
“Ah, yes, sir. But… is that a martial arts manual?”
The old man nodded slowly.
“Indeed it is. This place sells used martial arts manuals.”
“You… sell martial arts manuals?”
Weren’t martial arts manuals supposed to be treasured possessions kept carefully within family clans and sects?
The old man chuckled and explained.
“There are countless martial arts manuals in this world, but not all of them are priceless secrets.”
“That’s true enough.”
“Such things drift about and eventually gather here.”
The old man continued.
“The one you chose costs four silver coins.”
Four silver coins was the price of a single chicken.
“Even though it’s supposedly a martial arts manual, you’re willing to sell it for such a low price?”
“If no one buys it, it will simply rot away here. Besides, everything in this place is used goods, after all.”
At those words, I took out four silver coins and paid him.
“Here you are.”
“Much obliged.”
“Then, farewell to you.”
I turned to leave, but the old man suddenly called out to us.
“Wait.”
“…?”
“Hold on a moment.”
He gazed intently at Palgap beside me, then retrieved a book from the shelf and held it out.
“Buy this one too.”
“Sir?”
“That bear-like fellow next to you will need it.”
.
.
.
Moments later,
After eating chicken noodles at the Miji Restaurant, I took care of various errands before returning to the Inn, where I examined the old martial arts manual I’d purchased from the Used Book Shop once more.
Certainly, the content felt oddly familiar.
I thought that showing it to my Master might reveal something, so I tucked the manual away and withdrew another one.
It was the martial arts book the Old Bookkeeper had recommended to Palgap, saying it would be necessary for him.
Indeed, the cover was blank.
I turned the pages and realized something was peculiar about the contents.

[To those who walk the Path of the Assassin King….]

Palgap—someone I suspected possessed the innate talents of the Assassin King, that legendary figure of death.
The fact that the old man had specifically recommended such a secret technique to him didn’t feel coincidental.
Who exactly was that old man?
I continued reading through the manual methodically.
It was a kind of guidebook.
It contained everything an assassin needed to learn—from concealing one’s presence to methods of claiming a target’s life, encompassing all the martial techniques required of a true killer.
I began to understand why this had ended up in the Used Book Shop.

[The moment you believe you must not be discovered, all things around you will conceal Yeon….]

Most of the content would appear absurd to ordinary readers.
But to someone born with the talents of the Assassin King, it was the ultimate secret technique.
Having observed Palgap for so long, I could be certain he possessed such gifts.
Yet I found myself hesitating.
Should I allow Palgap to master this?
If he learned this, he wouldn’t have died so meaninglessly as I had in my previous life.
But if he mastered this, I worried Palgap would no longer remain the Palgap I knew.
What should I do?
After deliberating for a long time without reaching a conclusion, I placed the manual back into my pocket.
It seemed I would need to consult with my Master about this as well. Given that my Master harbors secrets of his own, he would surely keep this confidential if I asked.
Before that, I would need to visit the Used Book Shop again tomorrow.
Evening was already drawing to a close.

* * *

That evening,
I dined with my parents at the Inn before heading to Daejin House.
It was one of the finest taverns in Luoyang.
“Welcome.”
Palgap spoke to the Shop Attendant who greeted us warmly.
“We should have a reservation for today.”
As he produced the paper with the reservation details, the Shop Attendant quickly bowed.
“Ah, you are the guests for the third private room. We have everything prepared. Please follow me.”
The Shop Attendant led us forward.
I had come here to meet Great Sword Chun-il.
I chose this location because its structure was far more discreet than other taverns.
As I entered the private room, the Shop Attendants soon followed with a large table.
It was the standard spread that came with renting a private room.
“If you need anything, please ring the bell.”
They bowed respectfully and withdrew from the room.
I surveyed the dishes arranged on the table.
The elaborate and refined spread seemed to exemplify Luoyang’s prosperity.
No matter how prestigious a tavern might be, such an ornate display would be impossible without a region’s abundance.
“Mm, this tastes excellent. Please, all of you eat. The food is quite palatable.”
At my words, Palgap and the three Guards shook their heads.
“No, sir.”
“Earlier we were at an inn, but now we are in a tavern. Moreover, given the hour, we must remain vigilant. A full stomach makes it difficult to maintain sharp senses.”
Their resolute stance left me with nothing more to say.
Was it strange that I ate so casually?
However, I did not touch the wine.
My purpose in coming here was to recruit Great Sword Chun-il.
Of course, a few cups of wine would not cloud my mind, but there was no need to drink.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of a drum echoed from afar.
It was the signal for the Hour of the Boar—between nine and eleven at night.
He should be arriving soon.
I had deliberately not told him which private room I occupied. If he truly was the talent I envisioned, he would find his way.
It was then.
“Master, I am Byeok-wol, entering now.”
A woman’s voice accompanied the opening door, and an elegantly dressed Gisaeng entered.
Sensing her aura, I smiled knowingly and gestured with my chin toward the seat before me.
“Please sit.”
“Yes, master.”
Watching her settle gracefully, I clicked my tongue.
Before it was a Dancer; this time, a Gisaeng.
Truly remarkable disguise skills.
I marveled at this inwardly before opening my mouth.
“You kept the appointment precisely on time.”
“Time is a law that must be honored.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“That is a trade secret.”
Great Sword Chun-il laughed seductively, and I chuckled softly.
“That doesn’t suit you. Isn’t such a laugh actually poison when directed at someone who clearly knows you’re a man?”
“You have a point.”
Somewhere in that voice, a youthful masculine tone emerged.
Palgap and the three Guards were startled by this, but they showed no further reaction.
“So, having lost to you in our contest, what favor do you wish to ask of me?”
To his question, I spoke directly.
“We wish to employ you at our Eunhae Trading Company.”
“…What? You wish to employ me?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and continued.
“You are suffering, are you not?”
“…”
“You despise yourself for stealing, yet you cannot stop—doesn’t that feel utterly wretched?”
“I…”
“Do not make excuses. Your trembling eyes and quivering lips already confirm that my words are true.”
“…”
A brief silence fell.
“Yes, you’re right. I despise theft. But what can I do? Look at what I’ve become.”
He sighed heavily.
“I tried not to steal. But when I came to my senses, I was already stealing again. So I bound my hands with iron chains. Yet… I found myself stealing with those very hands.”
His words carried a melancholy weight.
“Now theft is as much a part of my body as my limbs. I can only stop when I die. But I despise myself for not even having the courage to take my own life.”
He looked directly at me.
“Would you still employ someone like me?”
“Yes.”
“…!”
My unwavering answer left him dumbfounded.
“I intend to employ you as a security consultant for our trading company.”
“You’re entrusting seeds to a sparrow?”
“Perhaps. But even you cannot steal everything from our company. You’d have no warehouse to store it all anyway.”
“…”
“And the one making this offer is the youngest son of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Hehehehe.”
At my words, he let out a chuckle.
“I see your point.”
“However, my role as a security consultant for the trading company is merely the surface reason for employment.”
“…?”
He wore that confused expression again.
“To be honest, I was captivated by your extraordinary mastery of disguise.”
“Ah….”
He smiled seductively once more.
“I do have considerable talent for disguise. My Master taught me rigorously, but I also devoted myself to relentless practice.”
His expression grew serious.
“Until now, no one has ever seen through my disguise. But you—you perceived it.”
“….”
“That means there’s a possibility someone else could see through my disguise as well… Would that be acceptable? It seems your reason for employing me stems from my disguise ability.”
“Ah, that’s simply because I’m something of a genius.”
“Pardon?”
“So you needn’t worry about others detecting your disguise.”
In my previous life, no one had ever seen through his disguise either. He altered his very aura with each disguise—how could anyone possibly discern it?
His capture in my previous life wasn’t because his disguise was exposed.
When an innocent person was falsely accused of being Eun Sam-gaek and arrested to suffer, he voluntarily turned himself in to the County Office.
This man before me possessed such a gentle heart.
I continued speaking.
“And I will allow you to steal to your heart’s content.”
“What nonsense is this? You’re telling someone who dislikes thievery that you’ll let him steal?”
At his harsh words, Palgap and the Guards flinched.
But I raised my hand to stop them.
“Truthfully, you don’t actually despise thievery itself, do you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have accepted my wager.”
“….”
“So steal information instead.”
“Pardon?”
“Why do you insist that only monetary theft constitutes thievery? What can be stolen extends far beyond mere wealth.”
I continued.
“One can steal a person’s heart, and one can steal information. And I’m asking you to steal information for me.”
He wore a dazed expression, and I smiled wickedly.
The role I expected from Great Sword Chun-il was precisely that of an intelligence agent.
I needed a capable intelligence operative. My Father agreed with this assessment as well.
As the trading company grew, the importance of information increased, which was why the Baekdae Trading Companies held their annual assembly.
I too would need high-quality intelligence to confront the Murim Alliance in the future.
While the Hao Organization existed, they neither provided information as swift and accurate as we required, nor could we risk them feeding us false intelligence.
In my previous life, the Eunhae Trading Company began operating a proper intelligence division once it entered the ranks of the Ten Great Merchant Guilds.
While substantial capital was necessary and that delayed its inception, the greater obstacle was the lack of suitable talent.
But right now, standing before me is the perfect talent for an intelligence division.
And funding is no obstacle.
Our Merchant Guild continues to grow steadily, and with this intelligence, we’ll grow even further.
I turned to Great Sword Chun-il with a question.
“Stealing information is far more difficult than what you do now. Even for someone of your caliber, it would be challenging, wouldn’t it?”
In that instant, the veins on his forehead bulged.
As expected, gently scratching at a thief’s pride in his craft works like a charm.
“How would that be possible?”
“There is nothing in this world I cannot steal.”
“Then there’s nothing our Merchant Guild couldn’t contract you for, is there?”
I extended a contract I had prepared beforehand as I spoke.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Very well. Let’s make the contract.”
Chun-il affixed his seal to the contract I offered.
I had landed a big catch.
A fresh, thrashing prize indeed.
I retrieved the contract and spoke.
“As specified in the contract, if you steal anything other than information, that amount will be deducted from your salary. In other words, even if you steal, you’re only stealing from yourself.”
At my words, he chuckled softly.
“How much could my salary possibly be that you’d worry about that?”
“Just as I thought! You signed without reading the contract, didn’t you?”
“…?”
“It’s written right here, isn’t it? Your salary will be paid on a sliding scale according to the value of the information you bring. The lowest-value information earns one silver tael, while the highest-value information earns ten gold taels.”
“…!”
At my words, he asked in astonishment.
“Is that truly the case?”
“Would you like to read the contract again?”
At my question, he nodded and read through the contract once more.
Then, with a respectful demeanor, he returned the contract and asked.
“When should I begin working?”
Such honesty about money—truly admirable.

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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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