The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 160

—————
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 160

Chapter 160. The Meaning of Heavenly Secrets (1)

I did not accept it immediately.
“Is it truly acceptable for me to receive this? It seems far too generous.”
“Haha, humble to the very end, I see. Do accept it. You possess the qualifications to receive this token.”
Unable to resist his continued insistence, I accepted the token.
“Thank you. I hope we may continue to maintain a good relationship with the Wudang Sect.”
“Of course. That is precisely what I wish for as well.”
We exchanged words while smiling at one another.
“I believe it is time for me to return to the Merchant Guild.”
“Indeed, you have stayed far longer than originally planned. Rest well today, and depart carefully tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I shall not forget the Sect Leader’s kindness.”
With that, I withdrew from the Sect Leader’s presence.

On my way back to the Guest Hall, I encountered Jin Jeong Elder.
“Have you finished your conversation with the Sect Leader?”
“Yes, he shared many wise words with me.”
He smiled faintly and produced something from his robes, extending it toward me.
“What is this…?”
“A token of gratitude.”
“No, I merely…”
“Simply accept it.”
Unable to resist his persistent urging, I accepted the box and opened it.
Inside lay a single white pill.
“It is a pill that fortifies the blood meridians. We possess only a handful of these in the main sect, so I hope it proves beneficial to you.”
Thus, on this day, I received three gifts.
.
.
.
That night.
I beheld the Jinmu Emperor in my dreams.
“Thanks to you, I was able to prevent innocent blood from being spilled upon this land. Therefore, as promised, I shall reveal the heavenly secrets to you.”
“I had faith that you would not deceive me.”
“You impudent wretch!”
“Ah, my apologies. I merely thought it, yet it escaped my lips.”
I laughed with shameless composure.
“So what celestial secret will you reveal to me?”
“That is….”
As I listened to the Jinmu Emperor speak, I found myself asking back without thinking.
“Pardon?”
“What is it?”
“Ah, no—that’s the celestial secret?”
“It seems trivial, doesn’t it? But one day you’ll bow before me in gratitude, you fool.”
.
.
.
“Hmm?”
I stirred awake and grasped for the memory.
What was it?
I felt certain I’d heard something terribly important.
The Jinmu Emperor had appeared in my dream and revealed a celestial secret to me.
Though I couldn’t recall what it was, I felt no particular concern.
When the time came that I needed it, the memory would surface.
Just as it had before.
Now I needed to return home.
.
.
.
Immediately after an early breakfast, my party and I departed the Wudang Sect and made for the Eunhae Trading Company Headquarters.
Clatter, clatter.
As the carriage wheels rumbled across the earth, I gazed back at the Wudang Sect through the window.
Unlike my previous life, the Wudang Sect had been preserved intact.
I couldn’t foresee how that would influence the future, but one thing was certain—it would not benefit the Murim Alliance or the Baekcheon Trading Company.
Now that I thought about it, there was a principal contributor to this affair.
I tapped my sleeve and spoke.
“Geumryeong, come out here.”
“Chirp?”
At my words, Geumryeong poked its head out from within my sleeve.
I withdrew a single gold coin from my pocket.
Geumryeong’s eyes widened and sparkled at the sight, and I chuckled softly.
“Thanks to you this time, I was able to dispatch the Blood Sect Leader so easily. I’m giving this to you out of gratitude.”
“Chirrup!”
“Hey, hey! Don’t drool all over my clothes!”
I quickly lifted the drooling Geumryeong, who squirmed while staring at the gold coin.
“But you can’t do that anymore. It’s fortunate the one who consumed it was the Blood Sect Leader, but what if an innocent person had eaten it instead?”
“Chirp….”
“So from now on, tell me beforehand. That way I can take proper measures.”
“Kuu… kii?”
“You understand, right?”
“Kuu…”
“Here, eat this.”
I held out a Geumwon Orb to Geumryeong, and the creature swiftly snatched it and swallowed it whole.
The Geumwon Orb was quite large, yet it consumed it in a single gulp?
Truly a remarkable creature.
To be honest, the value of a Geumwon Orb was immense, but Geumryeong deserved it.
Had the Blood Sect Leader not perished, countless lives would have been spilled.
Moreover, with Hubei Province descending into chaos, our Merchant Guild would have suffered catastrophic losses.

* * *

The Murim Alliance.
The Murim Alliance Leader furrowed his brow as he listened to the report.
“So, you failed?”
“Yes. Jin-gu Elder, who was our collaborator, has been imprisoned in Chamhoe Cave, and the one responsible for procuring the Spirit Medicine is confined in the Prison.”
“Since the matter has already failed, there’s nothing to be done. Silence them.”
“Understood.”
The Subordinate replied thus and extended the documents he had been holding.
“Here is the detailed report.”
The Murim Alliance Leader read through the report, then paused at one section, his expression turning intrigued.
“Eun Seo-ho? The youngest son of the Eunhae Trading Company?”
“Yes. He had come to deliver a donation.”
“He’s mentioned far too frequently to be mere coincidence. Strangely enough, he was present every time our operations failed?”
“It must be coincidence.”
“I suppose so.”
He nodded his head.
Something felt unsettling, but it made no sense that he would have known beforehand and come to obstruct us.
“Very well. You may go.”
The Subordinate departed, and the Murim Alliance Leader gazed at his reflection in a mirror.
Eyes glowing crimson red.
He quickly concealed those eyes and muttered to himself.
“He should have at least helped before dying. Foolish wretch.”

* * *

Upon arriving at the Main Headquarters, Jin-ho was there to greet me.
“You’re back?”
“Yeah, it took longer than I expected to return.”
But Jin-ho’s expression seemed rather dark.
“Is something wrong?”
“…Yes.”
“What is it?”
I asked with growing concern.
If Jin-ho looked this troubled, it had to be something serious.
“Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon….”
Eun Geon-hyuk and Eun Bo-yeon.
The children born to Elder Brother Eun Jung-ho this time.
They were twins, and since they were born before I left for the Wudang Sect, they must be just over two months old by now.
In my previous life, when I died, my Elder Brother’s Wife was pregnant, waiting for the child to be born.
After more than ten years of marriage, these were truly precious children, so the entire household was in a festive mood.
But if the Baekcheon Trading Company had deliberately set out to erase the Eunhae Trading Company, would they have left the unborn children in my Elder Brother’s Wife’s womb untouched?
The nephews and niece who never saw birth in that life had returned to me in this one.
Perhaps because of this, the two children held a special place in my heart.
But hearing their names from Jin-ho’s lips made my heart sink.
“What about Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon?”
“Those children… they cry whenever they see me.”
“What?”
“I mean, do I really look that frightening? I just went to see them, and they started crying….”
“So what you’re saying is that Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon cry whenever they see your face?”
“Yeah.”
“And that’s why you look so serious?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s nothing else wrong besides that?”
“No.”
“….”
I seriously considered giving Jin-ho a good smack.
.
.
.
I first headed to my separate pavilion, washed thoroughly, and changed into fresh clothes.
When I had previously met Father looking disheveled, he had told me to take my time and wash up before coming to see him.
Thus refreshed, I made my way to the Silver Dragon Pavilion to report to Father about this expedition.
“Father, I have returned safely.”
“Well done. You’ve worked hard.”
“Here is a letter from the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect.”
Father unfolded the letter and read through it carefully.
Before departing from the Wudang Sect, the Sect Leader had given me a letter to deliver to Father.
He had said it contained gratitude for the substantial donations and supplies, and since it would be improper for me to read a letter addressed to Father, I had refrained from doing so.
Yet seeing Father’s expression as he read the letter, I found myself wondering if I should have glanced at it beforehand.
“Mm, Seo-ho.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Is Palgap doing well?”
“Yes. Fortunately, there are no complications.”
“Good, that should be the case. That bloodline doesn’t go astray so easily.”
“I beg your pardon?”
It seemed I had just heard something rather peculiar.
But my confusion was swept away entirely by Father’s next question.
“You fought against those who attacked the Wudang Sect? What on earth is the meaning of this?”
“That is…”
“Do incidents call out to you? Or do you throw yourself into them?”
“…”
I responded to Father’s words with an awkward smile.
“I’m afraid I’m not entirely certain myself, Father.”
Father scrutinized me carefully, then nodded as if reassured.
“It appears you’ve suffered no serious injuries, which is fortunate. You’ve done well.”
“Yes, then I shall take my leave.”

Leaving my father’s office, I made my way to my grandfather next.
After paying respects to my mother, I headed toward my elder brother Eun Jung-ho’s separate pavilion.
“Welcome home, young master. I’m glad to see you’ve returned in good health.”
“Thank you. I’m relieved to see you’re doing well too, sister-in-law.”
My brother’s wife, who had grown gaunt after childbirth, now appeared to have regained her vitality.
“It seems elder brother Eun Jung-ho is quite busy at the moment.”
“Yes, he’s occupied with silk deliveries at the moment. Since our Eunhae Trading Company has decided to throw our hat in the ring for the Imperial Palace silk supplier selection happening in six months.”
A problem had arisen with the merchant guild previously supplying silk to the Imperial Palace, prompting the court to select a new supplier.
In my previous life, our trading company had only ranked in the lower tiers compared to the Baekdae Trading Company, so we never dared to compete.
But that was then, not now.
Our most recently announced ranking was forty-ninth.
This position was more than sufficient to warrant an attempt, so I had subtly passed this information to my father.
And now elder brother Eun Jung-ho was handling this matter.
Since neither Jin-ho nor I harbored ambitions for the successor position, this was surely to solidify Eun Jung-ho’s standing as the rightful heir.
To naturally inherit the position of guild master later, one needed recognition not only from the senior staff within the company but from external parties as well.
“Elder brother Eun Jung-ho will handle it well.”
“Of course. I trust my husband completely.”
I smiled gently and continued speaking.
“How are Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon doing?”
“Wonderfully.”
My sister-in-law instructed a maidservant to have the nursemaids bring the two children.
There was an unspoken rule among those who traveled long distances: one must not make contact with newborns until half a month has passed since returning.
The reason being that one carries malevolent energies from foreign lands.
But I had Geumryeong with me.
Since Geumryeong was a spirit creature with the ability to purify harmful energies, I had come to see the two children with confidence in her protection.
Shortly after, two nursemaids entered carrying the two infants.
Seeing the two children nestled in their cribs, I broke into a bright smile.
“Hello there?”
Upon seeing me, Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon burst into delighted laughter.
“My goodness!”
Witnessing this, my sister-in-law laughed and spoke.
“Young master Jin-ho would cry every time he visited, yet these two laugh at the sight of young master Seo-ho. It seems even infants appreciate good looks.”
“Ha ha ha.”
I laughed awkwardly.
In that moment, I felt a piercing gaze from beside me, and turning my head, I found Palgap staring at me.
Hmm, did he just curse me with his eyes?
But I hadn’t done anything to deserve it, so why?
.
.
.
That evening.
I sought out Heo Woon Officer at his quarters after he finished his duties.
“Welcome, Small Guild Master.”
“Yes, I see you’ve been well.”
I extended the golden fruit toward him.
“What is this?”
In response to his question, I explained the Divine Spirit Blessing Fruit to him.
“…And so I wish to give this to Heo Woon Officer.”
“So if I consume this, my two legs will be restored to perfect condition?”
“That is correct.”
As I pondered what to do with the Divine Spirit Blessing Fruit that Geumryeong had intercepted, Heo Woon Officer came to mind.
I wanted to restore his legs to him—legs he had lost while working at the Baekcheon Trading Company.
Moreover, as he was talent who would prove invaluable to the guild going forward, there was also the calculation of earning his gratitude.
Yet Heo Woon Officer shook his head.
“I appreciate your words, but I will not consume it.”
“Pardon?”
Startled by his unexpected refusal, he explained calmly to me.
“To be honest, I am tempted. But I have grown accustomed to my body as it is now, and should I consume it, my thirst for vengeance would fade alongside the restoration of my legs. So please save it for when you truly need it later.”
“Are you truly certain?”
“Yes. I am certain.”
Why did the ancient tale of enduring hardship come to mind as I gazed upon him?
I too had resolved to seek vengeance against the Baekcheon Trading Company and the Murim Alliance, so I understood his resolve all too well.
And so I had no choice but to place it back within my sleeve.
.
.
.
Thus time passed.
Before long, the snow melted, and the biting wind transformed into the gentle breeze of spring.
It was the fifth month.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
As I reviewed documents in my office at Hyunpung, Palgap called out to me and rushed in urgently.
“Disaster has struck! The two young ladies have fallen gravely ill!”
“What?”
.
.
.
I rushed urgently toward Eun Jung-ho’s separate pavilion.
Just then, the Physician Chief emerged from the children’s chamber. Given the gravity of the situation, he had come running.
“How are our children?”
To Elder Brother’s Wife’s question, the Physician Chief answered with a somber expression.
“I’m afraid I cannot determine what illness this is. I apologize.”
“Ah….”
I could see the despair etched across Eun Jung-ho’s and his wife’s faces.

I entered the room where the two children lay with a heavy expression.
The two children who had laughed brightly at the sight of me were now struggling to breathe with great difficulty.
Must I part with my nephews again, just as I did in my previous life?
I bit my lip as frustration welled up inside me.
I recalled the Divine Grace Restoration Technique, but that only repaired physical damage—it could not cure illness.
Then it came to me.
“Ugh!”
In that instant, my head tingled and something surfaced in my mind.
It was the “Heavenly Secret” that the Jinmu Emperor had revealed to me as the price for stopping the Blood Calamity of the Wudang Sect this time.
That Heavenly Secret—it was meant for this very moment.

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