The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 165

—————
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 165

Chapter 165. A Visitor in the Dead of Night (2)

I recognized the sound of that bell and quietly steadied Palgap.
“Calm yourself. They’re not enemies.”
“Sir? Not enemies?”
“That’s right.”
I nodded.
“It’s the sound made by someone doing good work.”
Though we traveled through the mountains, this was a mountain path connecting official roads.
In other words, it was a safe route maintained by the government.
Besides, I sensed no killing intent or aura of the Black Path, so these were not enemies targeting us.
“Then what is it, sir?”
At his question, I rose to my feet and answered.
“Corpse-hoppers.”
“Pardon?”
Palgap cried out in surprise at my words.
“C-c-corpse-hoppers? You mean….”
Palgap swallowed hard and continued.
“Dead bodies?”
“Exactly. That sound is a Moshan Sect Taoist leading corpse-hoppers.”
Knowing this, I remained calm.
The Moshan Sect Taoists performed the service of returning the bodies of those who died in foreign lands back to their hometowns.
Though they moved the corpses through sorcery, the heavy thumping of bodies in transit naturally inspired considerable dread in others.
Thus, to avoid drawing attention, they traveled mountain paths in the dead of night.
My knowledge of this came from my extensive experience in merchant ventures.
And occasionally, when Pyo Du of the Pyoguk took on requests, he would ask, “Forgive me, but I’ve received a request from a Moshan Sect Taoist.”
When the Pyoguk required assistance, it was an unspoken law not to refuse such requests.
Thus, we would prepare a cart, load the body upon it, and proceed.
Though transporting corpses was distasteful, we did not refuse because the lives of Pyoguk and merchant guild members were uncertain—any could die abroad at any moment.
By granting such requests, we accumulated merit in hopes that should misfortune befall us and we die in foreign lands, our bodies would return to our families.
Similarly, it was customary in the merchant guild and Pyoguk to treat Moshan Sect Taoists with respect when encountered.
“Truly, sir?”
“Yes.”
Palgap tilted his head at my words and asked.
“But to my knowledge, you’ve never encountered a Moshan Sect Taoist during your merchant ventures or travels. How do you know this?”
Hmm… sharper than I expected.
I offered a vague explanation.
“I haven’t met him directly, but I’ve heard about him from other managers and elder brothers. And when you meet a Moshan Sect Taoist, if you don’t treat them well, they say misfortune clings to your journey.”
Then I heard Seo-woo Warrior’s voice from behind.
“Your words are correct, my lord.”
I turned around to see Seo-woo Warrior rising to his feet.
“Oh? You’re awake?”
“Yes, I couldn’t remain asleep after hearing the sound of that bell.”
Well, Seo-woo Warrior was also a master-class warrior after all.
With such keen sensitivity to energy, no matter how deeply one slept, it was impossible not to wake at such a sound.
“Hearing the bell’s sound, it seems they’re coming this way.”
I nodded at Seo-woo Warrior’s words.
“Let’s wake the others and prepare to receive them.”

A moment later,
Ding-ling.
Ding-ling.
“The departed souls of foreign lands now tread upon their homeland—what could possibly stand in their way? Come, come.”
Ding-ling.
Ding-ling.
Just as we expected, a Moshan Sect Taoist dressed in yellow robes approached, ringing the bell and chanting a ritual incantation.
It was an incantation to soothe the spirits of the departed.
And following behind him were five jiangshi.
Seo-woo Warrior looked at me and asked quietly.
“This must be your first time seeing a Moshan Sect Taoist and jiangshi—are you alright?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
I must have appeared far too composed.
“As I’ve always sensed… you are no ordinary person, my lord.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
I scratched my head.
Certainly, most people would be shocked enough to faint at such a sight.
Even in my previous life, I was quite startled when I first saw that spectacle.
Much like Palgap, who now clung trembling to my side.
That fellow was born with Sal Wang’s talent, yet he fears corpses!
And bears are supposed to be brave creatures by nature.
Shock at such a sight fades after seeing it once or twice; eventually, fear and unease give way to a sense of pity.
Now that I think about it, in my previous life, a Moshan Sect Taoist had visited our Merchant Guild.
It was to deliver the bodies of our missing guild members.
I was so grateful at the time.
The sound of the Moshan Sect Taoist’s bell, which had been approaching us, suddenly stopped.
My companions and I approached him and cupped our fists in salute.
“I pay my respects to the Moshan Sect Taoist. I am with the Eunhae Trading Company, and these are my guards and attendants.”
The Moshan Sect Taoist returned my bow with equal courtesy.
“Ah, so you are from the Eunhae Trading Company.”
I gazed at the Taoist’s face while concealing my recognition.
His features seemed familiar, and I realized he was the very Taoist who had brought back the bodies of our missing company members from my previous life.
In this life, the disappearance had never occurred thanks to my forewarning, yet the gratitude from my past existence was not something that could fade away.
This Taoist’s name was….
“I am Chung-su of the Moshan Sect.”
“It seems you are guiding the unfortunate souls back to their homeland.”
“Indeed. You appeared to be resting here, and I apologize for the disturbance.”
“Not at all. It is only natural. Please, have a cup of tea before you go.”
At my words, Chung-su Taoist shook his head.
“I am grateful for the offer, but as you understand, I must move before daylight comes.”
I nodded and produced the pouch I had set aside earlier.
“I understand. Your circumstances are clear enough, so it cannot be helped. This is a modest offering, but I hope it may serve to ease the suffering of the departed.”
The Taoist did not refuse this time and bowed respectfully.
“Thank you. I shall pray that fortune and blessings accompany your journey.”
With those words, Chung-su Taoist placed the pouch in his robe and spoke.
“Then we shall take our leave.”
He shook the bell once more, chanted the ritual words, and led the corpses away into the darkness.
It was as though a tempest had passed.
“Phew!”
Only then did Palgap’s tension release, and he collapsed onto the ground, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
“They’re… they’re gone, aren’t they?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and asked.
“Were you really that frightened?”
“Don’t even mention it! Seeing corpses moving about in the dead of night—of course it was terrifying.”
“I wasn’t frightened at all.”
“Well, that’s because you, young master, are so fearless… ahem, you have no fear at all.”
It seemed he had almost said something else just now.
I simply laughed quietly to myself.
In any case, we tidied up our camp, and Palgap and I settled before the fire.
The guards who had awakened returned to their sleep.

Morning arrived.
Seo-woo Warrior and Lee Pil Warrior, who had taken the final night watch, had somehow managed to hunt wild game and prepare a warm, nourishing broth infused with medicinal herbs.
Yeo Eung-am Warrior took a spoonful and spoke with a refreshed expression.
“I haven’t even drunk alcohol, yet I feel like my hangover is cured.”
“Indeed, that’s exactly it.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Seo-woo Warrior, you certainly have a talent for cooking.”
At my words, Seo-woo Warrior laughed bashfully and replied.
“The Sang Manager at my previous workplace was exceptionally skilled with food. I picked up a few things from him. You never know what circumstances life might throw at you.”
“Thanks to you, we’re enjoying such delicious food this morning. I’m grateful.”
We finished breakfast in warm camaraderie and prepared to depart.
As everyone moved with disciplined efficiency, our preparations were completed swiftly.
We mounted our horses and set out toward our destination once more.
We had traveled perhaps three or four hours when it happened.
I heard something strange.
“What is the matter?”
In response to Seo-woo Warrior’s question, I gestured ahead with my hand.
“I believe I heard someone groaning.”
At those words, Seo-woo Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior closed their eyes briefly, concentrating on something, then nodded.
“Your words are correct, my lord.”
“It seems to be coming from that direction. But… there’s something familiar about it.”
“Yes.”
This was unmistakably the aura of Cheong-su Taoist from the Moshan Sect, whom we had passed yesterday.
We immediately headed toward where the aura emanated from and discovered a person lying face-down.
Covered in blood and struggling to breathe through painful groans, it was indeed Cheong-su Taoist.
“Taoist, regain consciousness. Taoist.”
“Ugh…”
“Taoist.”
We carefully turned the Taoist onto his back and discovered sword wounds scattered across his body.
“This won’t do. We must find a Physician.”
Though we had a set itinerary, how could I simply leave a man dying like this?
Moreover, Cheong-su Taoist was the one who had returned the bodies of those missing from the Eunhae Trading Company.
Fortunately, there was a dwelling along our route, so we stopped there to find a Physician.
.
.
.
That afternoon.
Cheong-su Taoist regained consciousness.
“Are you awake?”
“Mm. You’re the young patron I met yesterday.”
“Yes. I found him collapsed on the road, covered in blood, and brought him to the Physician.”
At my words, he tried to sit up, but since he hadn’t fully recovered, he grimaced in pain.
“Please, just rest.”
Yet Cheong-su Taoist insisted on rising anyway, and he cupped his fist in salute, bowing his head to me.
“Thank you for saving my life.”
“I merely did what was necessary. And I believe I found you because of the good karma you’ve accumulated over the years.”
Cheong-su Taoist gazed at me with a faint smile.
At that smile, I found myself looking embarrassed without meaning to.
“But what exactly happened to you?”
Cheong-su Taoist sighed deeply before answering.
“The corpses were stolen from me.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Cheong-su Taoist explained the whole situation. After meeting us, he said, he had hurried diligently toward his destination.
He needed to reach a place where he could hide the bodies before dawn.
But just before arriving at that location, a group suddenly attacked and stole the corpses from him.
After finishing his explanation, he bowed to me.
“You said you were a merchant of the Eunhae Trading Company, but I can tell that your skills and those of your guards are far from ordinary.”
“I beg your pardon?”
How did he know that?
“It seems you’re curious how I came to know this.”
“Yes, I am.”
“In this profession, one naturally develops an eye for discerning the abilities of martial artists. No matter how much one tries to conceal their strength, certain things inevitably show through.”
“I see. As you say, our skills are indeed not lacking.”
“That is why I must ask. Please, I beg you to help me recover the stolen corpses and return these poor souls to their homeland.”
.
.
.
I told Cheong-su Taoist I would think about it for a moment, then stepped outside.
Upon hearing that corpses had been stolen, something came to mind that made me grow serious.
And the repulsive aura I had felt at the place where Cheong-su Taoist lay collapsed.
In my previous life, there was a force that dominated the Shandong and Hebei regions.
They called themselves the Hwan Cheon Dan.
They attempted to invade Beijing by leading corpses at the forefront.
But they were stopped by the Hebei Peng Clan, the Jin Zhu-eon Clan, the Hwangbo Family, and the Shandong Ak Clan.
The problem was the countless common people who suffered in the process.
There was no way to prevent that.
That period was roughly ten years from now, but were they already gathering corpses?
Well, it had to be that way.
Corpses aren’t something you can gather in a short time.
From what I remembered, the number of corpses they mobilized reached fifty thousand.
How could they have gathered so many?
The Moshan Sect Taoists who traveled throughout the Central Plains had been collecting corpses by intercepting the ones they were transporting during their journeys.
Typically, Moshan Sect Taoists had a strong tendency toward isolation, preferring to work alone.
Because of this, they remained unaware of the situation and had their corpses stolen.
Additionally, they must have kidnapped vagrants and refugees as well.
After all, there were places where neither the Government Authority nor the Martial Arts World held proper influence.
In any case, if they’ve only just begun their operations, now is the best time to nip this in the bud.
A poisonous weed can be removed with just two fingers when it first sprouts, but once it’s fully grown, you need to call in people to handle it.
However, given the enormous scale of the matter and its high danger, it was difficult to make a hasty decision.
Just then, Jin Yu Warrior approached from behind.
“How is the Taoist doing?”
“Yes, if he rests properly, he should make a full recovery.”
“But why do you wear such a troubled expression?”
I rubbed the space between my brows as I spoke.
“Ha, you’ve caught me.”
“If you have concerns, please tell me anytime.”
“Well, it’s just that we….”
I hesitated, carefully choosing my words before stopping.
No, there’s no need for us to handle the Hwan Cheon Dan alone, is there?
It’s best when the parties involved resolve such matters themselves.

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