The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 16

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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 16

Chapter 16. An Unexpected Journey (4)

When the Green Forest Bandits extended their proposal, Master and Jung Chung, who could be considered the representatives of our party, exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
Then Jung Chung approached me and whispered.
“I believe it would be wise for us to follow them to the stronghold. Such occurrences happen frequently, so there is no need for concern.”
“Understood. Since both of you possess far more experience than I do, I shall defer to your judgment.”
At my words, Jung Chung offered a faint smile and bowed his head.
Then he responded to the Green Forest Bandits.
“We shall accept your invitation.”
Thus we proceeded toward the stronghold.
During our journey, Lim Officer posed a question to me.
“Are you not frightened, Eun Officer?”
“Pardon? Frightened of what?”
“The Green Forest Bandits. While they speak of an invitation, if matters go awry, they will draw their weapons.”
His expression was quite anxious.
However, I was not particularly concerned.
“That may be true. But since Gwak Pyo-du and Jung Chung have made their decision, it should be fine.”
“Indeed, you are right. If those two have decided, it must surely be the correct course. Yet you remain remarkably composed. You seem like a seasoned merchant. Ha ha ha.”
How sharp he is, more than I expected.
Have I revealed too much?
The reason for my composure, as he surmised, stemmed from experience.
Yet my demeanor seemed to strike Lim Officer as peculiar.
“That cannot be. I too am concerned. I simply trust in Gwak Pyo-du and Jung Chung.”
I redirected the credit to the two of them.
That way, he would not find my behavior suspicious.
In any case, the bandits’ invitation to the stronghold seemed to suggest they wished to have a conversation. But what was the purpose?
There was no need to panic before understanding their intentions.
Besides, with Master present, our safety was assured at minimum.
And from what I knew, the master of Odongsan Hideout was someone who disliked unnecessary bloodshed.
.
.
.
Soon we arrived at the stronghold.
It was positioned at a strategic chokepoint, with sturdy wooden barriers and walls erected throughout.
As if word of our arrival had reached them, a well-built Giant Man emerged promptly.
“Ha ha ha! Welcome, welcome!”
A familiar face.
Seeing him as proud and commanding as I remembered, I couldn’t help but smile.
I spoke to Palgap beside me.
“Let’s get out of the carriage.”
“Sir?”
“Though they’re Green Forest Bandits, he’s the master of this hideout. Greeting them from inside the carriage could give them cause to pick a fight.”
“Understood.”
Lim Officer nodded at my words.
“A wise decision.”
My Master gave a slight nod of approval as he watched us descend from the carriage.
The moment Palgap stepped down, he positioned himself in front of me, shielding me.
I tried to stop him.
“I’m fine, really….”
“That won’t do. It’s my duty to protect you, Young Master.”
“All right, I understand.”
“Besides, you’re becoming more handsome by the day, and that makes me uneasy. We can’t have some ruffian getting ideas.”
“….”
I decided to remain quietly behind Palgap.
Meanwhile, my Master and Jung Chung exchanged fist salutes with the giant man.
“We pay respects to this mountain hero. I am Gwak Myung-hyun, head of the Changin Escort Agency.”
“I am Jung Chung, third commander of the Eunpung Corps of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“I am called Jang Dae-su, master of this Odongsan hideout.”
I remembered that name.
Jang Dae-su, the Wolf Fang Blade Specter.
A nickname earned for wielding the wolf fang blade with ghostly mastery.
“Since it’s cold, I thought it wouldn’t be amiss to invite you to rest awhile. So I had my men call you over.”
“We are grateful for your kindness.”
Jung Chung expressed thanks on behalf of everyone, and at the Stronghold Master’s instruction, preparations for a meal began.
A large bonfire was lit in the center of a spacious clearing, and seating was arranged around it.
Warm tea and roasted meat were provided.
“Thank you.”
“We shall enjoy it.”
Once my Master and Jung Chung brought their teacups to their lips, the others cautiously followed suit.
Drinking alcohol during travel is considered taboo.
Jang Dae-su, knowing this, appeared to have served tea instead of spirits.
I drank the tea as well.
This is quite fine tea. It must be quite expensive….
What exactly does he want to discuss that he’s going to such lengths with tea and meat?
“However….”
The Stronghold Master looked toward me and asked.
“You don’t seem to be of an age suited for escort work….”
I smiled and replied to his remark.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Eun Seo-ho, working at the Jae-gyeong Pavilion of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Eun, you say… By chance, what is your relation to the Eun Hae Merchant Guild Master?”
“He is my father.”
At my answer, he laughed heartily.
“Well, well! We’ve been honored with a distinguished guest! Hahahaha!”
I bowed my head slightly as a gesture of humility, then resumed eating.
‘….’
Yet something strange had been nagging at my senses since earlier.
It was….
“Gulp!”
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.
The sound of the Green Forest Bandits swallowing hard as they gazed at the tea and meat, and the rumbling of empty bellies.
Something felt off.
I glanced at the bandits’ table while pretending to examine the spread before us.
Teacups were placed identically, but the liquid inside looked murky.
‘But why aren’t they touching the meat?’
I examined their table’s meat carefully and noticed something.
Pine needles were piled thickly beneath, with meat laid thinly on top to make it appear abundant.
‘What on earth is going on?’
I retraced the path we had taken.
The fact that we had cleared snow while walking the mountain path meant no carts had passed through before us.
And with the fallen snow, wild beasts would rarely venture out either.
‘So that’s what it was.’
Now I understood why they had invited us to the hideout.
They were suffering from food shortages, and they were inviting us here to demand more money to resolve the problem.
Things had been manageable until now, but this year the snow had been particularly heavy.
Still, they had their pride, so they presented plain water and deceptively arranged meat on the table.
It was a façade to hide the weakness caused by hunger and depleted stamina.
Moreover, Jang Dae-su, the Stronghold Master, was too kind-hearted to lead the Green Forest Bandits.
In such circumstances, a ruthless leader would have simply attacked, killed everyone, and stolen the goods without hesitation.
Or perhaps he was someone who could think long-term.
Organizations like the Eunhae Trading Company or the Changin Escort Agency had the power to exact revenge on even a mountain stronghold.
With such calculations in mind, he likely maintained his position as master of this hideout.
Yet Stronghold Master Jang did not live long.
‘It was about five years before I died, I believe. He said they were attacked by the Murim Alliance.’
When I heard the news at that time, I found it strange.
These bandits under Jang Dae-su’s leadership had only collected passage fees and never courted unnecessary trouble.
Yet the Murim Alliance claimed they had eliminated the Odongsan Hideout and purged the realm of villains.
And so,
a Murim Alliance Branch was established where the Mountain Stronghold once stood, and they began collecting protection fees from travelers passing through.
It was truly infuriating.
The very deeds the dark path had committed were now being justified when the righteous path of Murim performed them.
At that moment, Jang Dae-su, the Stronghold Master, opened his mouth with a serious expression.
“Truth be told, our Mountain Stronghold is facing considerable hardship.”
“I suspected as much, given that travelers no longer pass through due to the situation.”
“So here’s the thing—I was hoping you might be more generous this time.”
“I understand your position, but the amount we receive is fixed, so it’s difficult.”
“Please, make an exception for us.”
As the conversation unfolded exactly as I’d anticipated, I simply observed the situation in silence.
But a memory flickered through my mind, and suddenly this entire situation felt unbearably frustrating.
That was why.
“Sigh….”
I exhaled a sigh without thinking.
“Hmm?”
The Stronghold Master looked at me and asked.
“Did you just sigh?”
“Ah, my apologies.”
This was my mistake.
I quickly apologized, but Jang Dae-su showed no intention of letting it pass.
“I’d like to know the reason.”
The atmosphere turned frigid in an instant.
At that moment, Palgap quickly dropped to his knees.
“Please forgive our young master. He is still inexperienced and lacks worldly knowledge….”
I looked at Palgap.
Truly, what was I doing to make him go this far?
And then, a single thought occurred to me.
I didn’t want to become an incompetent master.
I placed my hand on Palgap’s shoulder.
“Stand up.”
“Young master….”
“You should kneel only before me. So please, stand.”
At my words, Palgap lifted his head to look at me.
His face was moved.
When he looks at me like that, I feel somewhat embarrassed.
I concealed my awkwardness and spoke to Jang Dae-su with confidence.
“The truth is… I found this conversation pathetic.”
“What did you say?”
The killing intent radiating from Jang Dae-su froze the surroundings further. Those with weak martial prowess and those without any trembled, their faces turning pale.
But I’m not the type to lose heart over something like that.
I have fifty years of inner power cultivation and decades of experience, after all.
“Why does the Stronghold Master insist on acting with such short-sighted thinking instead of addressing the fundamental problem?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”
He grasped the sword hilt of the Nangado blade beside him.
At that, my Master and Jung Chung also placed their hands on their weapons.
Ready to intervene at any moment.
A moment of extreme tension.
“Sigh!”
I let out another exasperated sigh, making my position clear.
This was no time to back down.
This was the moment to push forward boldly.
And the Stronghold Master I knew appreciated people who committed decisively once they made a choice.
“Why are you reaching for your weapons again? That’s short-sighted thinking too, isn’t it?”
“Now listen here, you——”
Jang Dae-su tried to say something, but I cut him off.
“Stronghold Master. The reason this mountain hideout is struggling is because of the snow, isn’t it?”
“You can see that for yourself, can’t you?”
“Then why don’t you clear the snow?”
“What?”
“If snow is the problem, then clear it completely and maintain the road properly. Won’t that increase the number of people using this route? It’s more profitable to pay the toll and take this direct path than to make a long detour.”
“….”
At my words, the Stronghold Master blinked his eyes.
And the Green Forest Bandits around us began to murmur amongst themselves.
“Oh, now that you mention it….”
“Why didn’t we think of that?”
“No wonder he’s educated—he’s sharp.”
I was utterly dumbfounded.
That such a simple solution had occurred to no one.
Looking on the bright side, at least we’d managed to save five years of time.
This benefited not just the escort agencies, but the Eunhae Trading Company as well.
If we could shorten transport time, paying the toll would still be more profitable for us.
The Stronghold Master cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem. Well, I didn’t know such a method existed.”
“You claim to be the master of Odongsan, do you not? As master, surely you bear the responsibility of maintaining your own land. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s… certainly true.”
“When roads deteriorate, repair them. When snow falls, clear it. Were you really trying to collect tolls without even putting in that much effort?”
“…Ahem.”
“If the road is well-maintained, everyone will want to use this route. It saves so much time. Then you wouldn’t need to beg so pathetically for increased tolls, would you?”
Jang Dae-su, who had only been clearing his throat, suddenly burst into hearty laughter to hide his embarrassment.
“Ha ha, what a clever fellow! I envy the Eunhae Merchant Guild Master!”
At those words, the other Green Forest Bandits nodded in agreement.
“Well, looks like we have work to do now.”
“Right. If things go this way, we can demand payment with confidence too.”
Our people were flustered by the suddenly cheerful atmosphere.
“A fine idea indeed. Very well, I shall accept your proposal.”
“Thank you for your wise judgment. And….”
I approached the Stronghold Master.
As I drew near, his expression turned puzzled. He seemed taken aback that I was the one approaching.
“Might we speak privately, just the two of us?”
At my words, the Stronghold Master’s confusion deepened.
“A private conversation?”
“I have something urgent to discuss with you.”
The Stronghold Master tilted his head briefly, then nodded and rose from his seat.
“Very well.”
At that moment, Jung Chung called out hastily.
“I shall accompany you!”
At his words, the Stronghold Master chuckled softly.
“You worry over nothing. The young master you serve is likely stronger than you are.”
“What?”
While Jung Chung was taken aback by those words, the Stronghold Master pointed to a location.
“There is a quiet place over there. Let us go.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, Palgap quickly moved to my side.
“Regardless of others, I must remain at your side, young master. I am your attendant, after all.”
The Stronghold Master nodded readily, unlike his response to Jung Chung.
“That is only proper. An attendant exists for such a purpose.”

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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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