The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 163

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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 163

Chapter 163. Master’s Request (2)

I arrived at the Miscellaneous Goods Shop and explained to the Old Man the circumstances that required me to journey to the Northern Sea.
“I see. Make sure you return alive.”
The Old Man spoke gruffly, yet I could sense the warmth beneath his words.
“Yes.”
“Is that the only reason you came here?”
“Well… is there anything I should be cautious about on the way there?”
At my question, the Old Man fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.
“The most arduous journeys are through the merchant routes and the official roads. What more could I possibly advise you on?”
Now that I thought about it, he had a point.
“Then please convey my regards to those above.”
“I understand. Go and return safely.”
.
.
.
The next morning.
I told my Master, who had come to guide my martial arts training, that I would accept his request.
Upon hearing this, my Master clasped his fists in gratitude and bowed deeply.
Flustered, I quickly helped him to his feet and spoke.
“Master, why would you do such a thing?”
“I am merely expressing my gratitude.”
“As your disciple, how could I refuse even one request from you?”
“I see. To express further gratitude would be an insult to my own disciple. Very well, I understand.”
My Master smiled faintly and nodded.
“Then I shall express my thanks in my own way.”
But Master…
Why do your eyes burn with such fierce determination?
“Before you depart, I shall ensure you master the tenth form completely—Seolbung.”
“….”
My Master’s gratitude toward me had taken an entirely unexpected turn.
But you said you were injured…
.
.
.
After completing my preparations methodically, I set out for the Northern Sea on the full moon day of the sixth month.

* * *

Gwak Myung-hyun watched from a distance as Eun Seo-ho departed toward the Northern Sea.
“Il-seol.”
At his call, someone appeared and bowed respectfully.
From the sheer speed of their arrival, one could gauge the depth of their martial prowess.
“You called for me, Palace Master?”
At that title, Gwak Myung-hyun smiled bitterly.
His father, the former Palace Master of Snowwind Palace, had passed away, and he, once the Deputy Palace Master, had inherited the position.
Driven by that responsibility, he had been striving tirelessly in every direction to find traces of Snowwind Palace and rebuild it.
Yet recently, he had come to understand what his true calling truly was.
“I am issuing an order. Protect my disciple as I mentioned before.”
“Understood. However, I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“Do you truly intend to pass the position of Palace Master of Snowwind Palace to your disciple?”
“It is too early to speak of such matters.”
At Gwak Myung-hyun’s resolute answer, he nodded in acknowledgment.
“I shall obey your words. But are you certain your body is well?”
“Yes. Thanks to my father-in-law, I have recovered considerably.”
“Palace Master, you must take care of your body.”
“I shall keep that in mind. But was I not forced into that situation? Once they became aware of our existence, had I not eliminated them by force, we would have suffered grievous losses.”
“….”
“I have concealed that corpse well, so we shall be safe for some time. The Alliance will assume we have gone into seclusion. So do not worry.”
“Understood. Still, please do take care of yourself.”
“I shall.”
With a whoosh, the figure vanished, and Gwak Myung-hyun exhaled deeply.
Then, furrowing his brow, he pressed his side.
The wound he had sustained throbbed painfully.
Yet thanks to the timely arrival of his father-in-law, it was healing at a rapid pace.
He recalled the man he had cut down.
One of those who had attacked Snowwind Palace, he had coincidentally discovered that the survivors of Snowwind Palace were actively working toward its reconstruction.
Naturally, as Gwak Myung-hyun, I could not allow him to live, so I approached him under the guise of heading to Pyohaeng.
But originally, I could not have confidently claimed victory against him with my own martial skill alone.
However, through the secret manual containing the profound insights of Snowwind Palace’s Ancestor that Eun Seo-ho had recently brought, I achieved enlightenment.
Through that, I was able to break through a barrier, and thanks to that, I could achieve victory in this battle.
But from that battle, I sustained an injury that could not be overlooked, and because of it, I became unable to go search for the traces that my father-in-law had indicated.
As I pondered this, it seemed to me like the will of heaven.
Thus, I decided to send Eun Seo-ho.
In truth, it could also be seen as a sort of trial for Eun Seo-ho.
If Eun Seo-ho truly possesses the qualifications of a Palace Master, he will return with something gleaned from the remnants left behind.
And the other survivors will witness it and act according to his decisions.
Gwak Myung-hyun chuckled softly.
‘I’m curious what he’ll bring back.’
The remarkable disciple he had observed all this time always returned with something beyond imagination, no matter what he set out to obtain—this time would surely be no different.
Still, if his disciple had to bear this heavy burden of fate, he wished it could come later.

* * *

We were traveling on horseback.
There were two main routes from Hubei to the Northern Sea.
One could take a slight detour through Beijing, or proceed directly through the desert.
I chose the former.
While I had taken swift and efficient routes before, that was because I had reliable information that those paths were safe.
But crossing the desert carried far too much risk and uncertainty.
Besides, my Master had said we only needed to arrive before winter set in, so there was no need to rush.
My reason for taking this route was partly to board a boat toward Shandong, but there was another reason as well.
As we traveled, we passed through Wudang Sect territory.
To enter the Wudang Sect’s Mountain Gate, one must surrender weapons at the Sword-Disarming Zone, but when merely passing through their territory, one shows respect by either storing weapons in luggage or carrying them reversed.
Of course, this did not apply to the Wudang Sect’s own Daoists.
“We should disarm ourselves.”
At Seo-woo Warrior’s words, I shook my head.
“No. We can proceed as we are.”
“Sir?”
I answered his question.
“My party and I have received permission to enter Wudang Sect territory without restriction.”
When I had received the special permit last time, I had met with the Wudang Sect Leader alone, so the others were unaware of this matter.
Emboldened by my words, my party nodded and entered Wudang Sect territory without disarming, where we encountered disciples of the sect on patrol.
“You there, you’ve insulted the Wudang Sect….”
Without a word, I held up my permit.
What I possessed was a special permit that exempted my entire party from the requirement to surrender weapons.
The Wudang disciples who saw the permit in my hand quickly changed their stance.
“We bow to the honored guest of Wudang Sect.”
I returned their salute with a fist-palm gesture.
“It is a pleasure. I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Are you the young master Eun Seo-ho, known as Seon Hyeop Mi-rang?”
“Though I am unworthy of such reputation, I am indeed called by that name.”
The Wudang disciples then bowed repeatedly.
“Forgive us for not recognizing you sooner. We heard recently that you have rendered great service to our sect.”
“Should you require our assistance at any time, please feel free to speak freely.”
I smiled gently and spoke.
“I was merely passing through on urgent business. Please convey my apologies to the Sect Leader for departing without paying my respects.”
“Understood.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Thus we were able to traverse the Wudang Sect’s territory without incident.
As we crossed over Wudang Mountain, a pavilion came into view.
A shrine dedicated to the Jinmu Emperor.
Throughout Wudang Mountain, there were numerous pavilions enshrining the Jinmu Emperor.
“I shall stop here for a moment.”
“Understood.”
We halted before the Jinmu Emperor’s pavilion.
One of my purposes in passing through Wudang was to visit this very place.
Upon entering, I beheld a portrait of commanding and majestic presence.
I gazed upon it and offered a respectful bow.
“Thank you. Because of your grace, I was able to save my nephews and set things right.”
“….”
“However, I shall not prostrate myself. After all, this reward came from my own efforts, did it not? There seems little need for such formality.”
For some reason, the portrait of the Jinmu Emperor seemed to smile.
Surely it was my imagination.
“But tell me—among those I saved, was there perhaps one whom the Jinmu Emperor watches over? No, it was merely a passing thought.”
The portrait seemed to shimmer slightly, though that too must have been my imagination.
“Then I shall depart.”
I cupped my fist in salute and turned to leave.
As I did, I glanced back and spoke.
“In any case, I welcome future dealings.”
Stepping outside, I addressed my companions with a smile.
“Shall we continue on?”

* * *

Yeochun Inn.
The establishment bustled with activity from dawn.
There was much to be done—meal preparations, guest room cleaning, and countless other tasks that began in the early morning hours.
“Ju-sung! Attend to the guests.”
“Ju-sung! Handle the accounts!”
“Ju-sung!”
“Ju-sung!”
“Ju-sung!”
“Ugh! Seriously!”
Mun Ju-sung finally snapped, his voice cracking with exasperation.
“I understand I work well, but this is simply too much!”
His mother, working in the kitchen, laughed as she spoke.
“That’s precisely because they all rely on you so much.”
The young couple nodded in agreement at her words.
“Indeed.”
“Quite right.”
“Sister, how on earth did you manage this inn alone when I wasn’t here?”
At Mun Ju-sung’s question, she—Pa-du Pa-pa—laughed and replied.
“It wasn’t particularly difficult. We simply didn’t have many guests back then.”
….
The Yeochun Inn had been established by Pa-du Pa-pa to protect her husband, Yu Yu Geom Je, and sustain their livelihood.
Pa-du Pa-pa appeared to be around thirty years old thanks to the Eternal Wine, while Yu Yu Geom Je maintained that appearance due to his cultivation at Hwagyeong reaching the realm of Half-Step Immortal Ascension.
Unable to address them as grandmother and grandfather, I called them sister and brother instead.
Not that Pa-du Pa-pa would have objected—she’d caress her axe with a certain gleam in her eye if anyone tried otherwise.
In any case, after parting ways with Eun Seo-ho and returning home, Mun Ju-sung gathered some modest funds and departed.
Along the way, when he encountered Green Forest Bandits and faced the threat of losing everything, he owed his life to Pa-du Pa-pa and Yu Yu Geom Je, who had been sent by Eun Seo-ho to aid him.
And so he came to work at this inn.
That must have been when it began.
The bandits in the surrounding area suddenly vanished, transforming this place into a safe haven, and guests began to arrive in greater numbers.
The Yeochun Inn possessed fourteen guest rooms in total.
Even those fourteen rooms proved insufficient, forcing the staff to arrange shared accommodations and seek guests’ understanding.
When even that wasn’t enough, many guests slept on bedding laid across the first floor.
Indeed.
The reason Mun Ju-sung’s mother, Pa-du Pa-pa, and Yu Yu Geom Je constantly called upon him was simply because there were far too many guests.
“So, we really must expand the inn.”
At Yu Yu Geom Je’s words, Mun Ju-sung scratched his head.
“As you say, brother, expansion is the only solution, isn’t it?”
He had funds from home, and additional wealth that Eun Seo-ho had given him as payment for the Five-Colored Ice Crystalline Flower, so finances were not a concern.
Thus, a five-story pavilion was constructed.
That had been half a year ago.

After expanding the inn, the number of guests increased dramatically, and even with ten Shop Attendants employed, we were constantly overwhelmed with work.
Before long, spring had passed in a flash, and summer arrived.
Still, thanks to the cooling charms, we were experiencing a summer that wasn’t terribly hot.
Mun Ju-sung rose early each morning and personally directed the Shop Attendants as they cleaned the inn.
At that moment, Yu Yu Geom Je descended from upstairs and spoke.
“Already cleaning? You’re truly diligent.”
“Yes. I may not know about other things, but cleaning must be done personally. Do you understand how important cleanliness truly is?”
In Mun Ju-sung’s hands as he spoke was a cleaning cloth.
“That’s true.”
Yu Yu Geom Je glanced toward the window and continued.
“Today, it would be good to pay extra attention to the cleaning.”
“Pardon?”
“For some reason, I have a feeling that a welcome guest will arrive today.”

* * *

I stood before the five-story pavilion, lost in contemplation.
Was this truly the Yeochun Inn I remembered?
The signboard was certainly the same as what I had seen before. Yet the inn’s exterior had changed completely from how it once was.
I wasn’t the only one taken aback—Palgap, Yeo Eung-am Warrior, and Lee Pil Warrior, who had visited this place with me before, were equally astonished.
“I can’t believe it’s changed so much!”
“It’s remarkable.”
To be honest, I had heard from other inn managers that the Yeochun Inn had undergone expansion construction and grown in scale.
But I never imagined it would be to this extent.
“Let’s go inside.”
One of my other reasons for passing through Wudang Mountain was precisely to stop by this place.
Composing myself, I entered, and a Shop Attendant greeted us warmly.
“Welcome.”
“Do you have rooms available?”
“Of course. Since there are six of you, would three rooms suffice? Or would you prefer four?”
I answered his question.
“Three rooms, and we’ll be dining as well.”
“Understood.”
At that moment, my eyes met those of a Familiar-Faced Youth descending from the upper floor, carrying a large basket filled with laundry.
“Oh!”
I sent a transmission to him as his eyes widened in surprise.
– We agreed to pretend we don’t know each other, didn’t we?
“….”
– I’m relieved to see you’re doing well.

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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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