The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 187

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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 187

Chapter 187. Ice Sea Water Severing Technique (3)

I left the County Office with the report Jihyeon had given me. As I walked, I sighed and spoke to Palgap.
“Palgap, can we be ready to depart in half a time period?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Then prepare for departure. I have somewhere I need to go alone for a moment.”
“Understood, sir.”
I then sent a telepathic message to the Guard Warriors.
Not to follow me.
And I instructed only Seo-woo Warrior to observe me from a distance.
I also told him not to intervene unless my life was in mortal danger, and simply to watch.
Excluding Jin Yu Warrior who wasn’t here, Seo-woo Warrior had the highest martial skill level and the strongest self-control.
Then I ventured deep into the remote alley.
.
.
.
Is this far enough?
I stopped walking in a place where few people passed.
I had set this trap because I felt killing intent directed at me while walking after leaving the County Office.
There was only one group that would want to kill me here.
Honestly, even though a major accident occurred with the boat capsizing, because I saved everyone, the Daegun Trading Company was able to avoid significant losses.
Yet they couldn’t even thank me, and instead came at me like this?
This is my own test for the Daegun Trading Company.
If they fail this test?
Then naturally, they deserve to be cast into hellfire.
Tap,
tap-tap.
Masked figures in night clothes appeared around me.
Hellfire it is, then.
“W-who are you?”
I sighed inwardly while outwardly displaying a terrified expression.
Then one of them stepped forward and spoke.
“You must end your life here.”
“What? W-what do you mean by that?”
“Even if you received secret orders, there are things one should investigate and things one should not. Your foolishness in failing to distinguish between them has hastened your death.”
At those words, I bit my lip and asked back.
“How could I not know that I’ve received a secret order?”
“There are ways to find out.”
“Is it Ji Hyeon Dae-in?”
At my question, he let out a soft chuckle.
“Ji Hyeon? That stubborn fool wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“Then?”
“If that Ji Hyeon is acting like this, it means the secret order came down from above—someone he can’t refuse.”
“….”
This man certainly loves to talk.
“I’ve told you this much; you can die without regrets. Now dispose of him!”
“Yes!”
The other masked intruders rushed at me, binding my hands and feet, and sealing my mouth.
“Mmph!”
I deliberately played frightened and remained silent.
Binding me and taking me somewhere else was clearly to avoid leaving evidence of murder.
I suppose I should be grateful they weren’t killing me right here.
If they had, I would have had to shed blood myself.
That might have been simpler, but I had no desire to stain my hands with the blood of these men.
After what felt like an eternity, the carriage came to a halt.
The sound of water splashing reached me from nearby.
As expected, we had come to Dongjeong Lake.
I felt the sack containing me being lifted, then it soared through the air.
Splash!
Soon water began pouring into the sack along with the sound of the impact.
I calmly began executing the Ice Sea Transformation Heart Method.
Had my Ancestor perhaps anticipated such a situation and taught me water techniques for this very reason?
Unlike what my Master had taught me, the water techniques I learned from my Ancestor allowed me to move freely underwater.
I gathered my inner energy and applied force to my hands.
Snap!
The rope binding my hands snapped cleanly.
I retrieved a hidden blade from my sleeve.
My Two Elder Brothers had given it to me as a gift on my first business trip, and now I was using it like this.
With a bitter smile, I cut through the bindings on my feet and the seal on my mouth, then tore through the sack and emerged.
Whoosh.
Feeling something heavy below me, I looked down to find a large stone tied to the sack.
These bastards—tying a stone to it shows they were completely intent on concealing this.
This isn’t the work of amateurs.
Now that I think about it, there were several people who had disappeared and posed threats to the Daegun Trading Company—were they disposed of like this?
Then a sudden thought occurred to me.
Why hadn’t Kang Seung been disposed of this way?
As I pondered the matter, the answer became clear.
He was so cautious by nature and held such high regard among those around him that it would have been difficult to handle him directly.
So instead, he resorted to this scheme of seizing the shop.
In any case, given that he’s gone to such lengths against me, Kang Seung needs to be more careful as well.
It would be best to have him lie low for a while.
One cannot predict what a cornered man might do.
Turning these thoughts over in my mind beneath the water, I cautiously lifted my head above the surface.
No one was visible now, and I felt no presence of anyone nearby.
Swimming leisurely to the shore, Seo-woo Warrior approached me.
“You’ve emerged, sir. I was worried when you didn’t come up for so long.”
“I apologize for the concern. However, this was absolutely necessary.”
“I understand. Was it not to catch them off their guard?”
I nodded in affirmation.
“Yes. Fortunately, it unfolded as expected. Now let us return.”
“Understood.”

Through Seo-woo Warrior, I relayed instructions to Palgap and the Guard Warriors.
They were to pretend to search for me earnestly for half a day.
Then I rejoined them with expressions of dismay and headed toward Beijing.

* * *

The Daegun Merchant Guild Master received a report from his Deputy Officer O Jin-chuk.
“Guild Master, I have disposed of that fellow as you instructed.”
“Well done. What of his companions?”
“They were in quite a frenzy searching for him earlier, but it appears they have returned to Hubei now. Perhaps to inform the Eunhae Trading Company?”
“Likely so.”
“But will it be alright? If the Eunhae Trading Company launches a thorough search, there is a risk they might trace this back to us.”
The Guild Master chuckled softly at the Deputy Officer’s concern.
“Is there evidence?”
“There is none.”
“Then what is there to worry about? As we have done before, we simply act as though nothing happened. Without evidence, what can they possibly do?”
“That is true.”
The Guild Master had felt uneasy about Jihyeon’s sudden change in demeanor and his subsequent diligent investigation into the matter.
He had noticed that this shift coincided with Eun Seo-ho’s visit, and after much deliberation, he had decided to have Eun Seo-ho drowned in Dongjeong Lake.
Though he was somewhat concerned about the backing behind that man, keeping him alive felt far more dangerous.
The dead tell no tales.
As the matter concluded smoothly, he felt satisfied with his decision.
“Now I must also deal with the Hwari Ship Shop. How foolish of me to continue pursuing a venture I had already failed at. Such a bad habit. Don’t you think it’s time I corrected it?”
“Your words are most wise.”
It was at that moment.
“Guild Master, I have urgent news to report.”
Another Deputy Officer’s voice came from outside the door.
“Enter.”
The door opened and the Deputy Officer bowed deeply before speaking.
“The Shop Manager Kang Seung of the Hwari Ship Shop has announced a temporary closure.”
“A closure? Why so suddenly?”
“A Physician visited, and apparently advised him to rest, saying his body has suffered considerable damage. So he has decided to take a break for the time being and has even granted leave to his workers and sailors.”
“Is that so?”
The Guild Master’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“Heaven has granted me an opportunity.”
Though he had suffered significant losses when the ship he had procured at great expense sank, now that his competitor had conveniently withdrawn, the timing was perfect.

* * *

Beijing.
I stood before the Emperor.
“I hear you’ve brought an investigation report.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. An urgent matter has arisen, which is why I requested this audience with such haste.”
I handed the report to the Eunuch beside me, who then presented it to the Emperor.
The Emperor began to read the report.
“Hmm….”
After finishing the report, the Emperor regarded me quietly.
His expression was devoid of anger—almost blank.
“At the end here, it mentions attempted murder against an Imperial Inspector acting under imperial orders, yet the explanation is rather sparse.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I reported on the assassination threat I had faced and how I escaped from it.
Though I did embellish the account somewhat.
“…And so, I was cast into the deep waters of Dongjeong Lake.”
“And how did you survive?”
“Thanks to my Guard Warrior’s keen instincts and pursuit, I narrowly escaped death and was able to stand before Your Majesty today.”
The martial arts I had learned were to remain secret.
One could not escape such a situation with merely ordinary water techniques. The Ice Sea Water Severing Technique was what made it possible.
And I had no wish to reveal the extent of my martial prowess.
“…I see.”
“There is no evidence for this. However, I experienced it myself, and all the mountains and waters witnessed it.”
“I trust you as well. You are not one to fabricate such things.”
The Emperor’s face remained expressionless.
Hmm?
But the Eunuch standing beside him looked strange.
His complexion had turned ashen, and cold sweat beaded on his brow.
Could it be?
“To be so devoted to your duty. It seems I have a keen eye for talent.”
“It is merely my sincere loyalty in repaying Your Majesty’s grace.”
“Yes, spare me the flattery.”
The Emperor tapped the armrest and asked me.
“How shall I repay you, who faced death for me?”
“Your Majesty?”
“Shall I have you bound in a sack and cast into Dongjeong Lake just as you were? Or perhaps inflict the punishment of dismemberment with added charges?”
“….”
Hearing him speak of dismemberment with such an expressionless face, cold sweat began to trickle down my own back.
I quickly bowed my head and spoke with utmost respect.
“Though I do harbor personal grievances, how could satisfying my private vendetta against such a reckless fool benefit Your Majesty’s virtue?”
“Then?”
“I humbly beseech only that Your Majesty use this incident to establish your virtue and demonstrate the severity of the law.”
“Then you’re saying you don’t need to settle your own grudge?”
“Your Majesty, my personal vendetta is of little consequence. If they face judgment under the law, that alone is sufficient for me.”
I glanced sideways at the Emperor.
His previously expressionless face had broken into a smile.
“Remarkable. Where did such a fellow suddenly appear from?”
When I looked to the side, even the Eunuch’s face seemed more composed than before.
“If I were to intervene personally in this matter as you suggest, the very discipline I’ve just restored would crumble.”
“….”
“Jung Tae-gam, summon the Inspector of Hunan Province to the capital with urgency.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
An Inspector oversees judicial matters and prisons throughout an entire province.
Summoning such an official meant the Emperor intended to investigate this matter thoroughly.
The Emperor spoke to me directly.
“You’ve done well. Without you, I would have remained entirely ignorant of this affair.”
“As one who received Your Majesty’s command, I merely performed my duty.”
“By the way, while reviewing the investigation report, I noticed an intriguing name. Scholar Hwang Bon-ji was aboard that vessel.”
“Do you know of him, Your Majesty?”
“Indeed. A capable fellow—sharp-witted, spirited, and never at a loss for words before me. Much like yourself.”
He was clearly someone the Emperor valued far more than I had realized.
That explained why the Emperor had personally ordered an investigation in my previous life.
“Though he retired due to unfortunate circumstances, I had intended to summon him soon. The fact that his name appears in this investigation report suggests the time has come.”
The Emperor commanded Jung Tae-gam to send an official summons to Scholar Hwang Bon-ji.
“Now that I think of it, this report differs somewhat from your usual work.”
The Emperor’s discerning eye truly was remarkable.
To recognize from the report alone that someone else had written it.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I did not author it.”
“Ah? Then whose handiwork is this clear and well-organized investigation report?”
“That would be….”
I seized the opportunity to reveal that Jihyeon had personally conducted the investigation and prepared the report.
The Emperor’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“Such talent languishing in a mere county post! This one must be brought to the capital as well.”
It was exactly as I had anticipated.
This outcome would be far from unfavorable for Jihyeon.
Though his work would become far more demanding and exhausting than before, he had caught the Emperor’s attention.
And his salary would increase considerably.
“Then you may take your leave.”
A natural dismissal.
“Your Majesty, I shall withdraw now.”
I bowed respectfully and departed.
As a result of this affair, the Daegun Trading Company had collapsed, just as it had in my previous life.
Though my hand was involved, this was merely reaping what they had sown.
Had the Daegun Trading Company not schemed to steal Hwari Ship Shop’s business, I would never have taken interest in the matter.
And they did not stop at capsizing a boat by overloading it with twice the capacity of the garden—they even attempted to assassinate me.
Such an unscrupulous merchant has no place among the Top Hundred Merchant Guilds.
Not only would they disrupt the merchant world, but they would inflict grave harm upon the common people.
In any case, this incident taught me something.
When the Emperor grows angry, his face becomes utterly expressionless.
.
.
.
Upon returning to the Eunhae Trading Company and resuming my work, news of the Daegun Trading Company reached me.
The Imperial Inspector of Hunan Province, acting under the Emperor’s direct command, personally conducted a thorough investigation of the Daegun Trading Company.
Naturally, countless instances of corruption and criminal activity came to light, and the Daegun Trading Company dissolved entirely. The Daegun Trading Company Master and his deputies at the center of it all were executed.
The crimes I had originally reported were grave enough on their own, but the decisive revelation was that they had secretly drowned competitors in Dongjeong Lake, just as they had attempted to do to me.
And Cheon Deuk-yeo, who owned the original storefront where Hwari Ship Shop had been located, suffered greatly when a contract binding him to the Daegun Trading Company was discovered.
Desperate to save himself, he came pleading to me, and I agreed to spare him on the condition that he place himself under our Merchant Guild.
Now he hangs on every word from Kang Seung, and Kang Seung must feel as though a century-old ailment has finally lifted.
Yes, when people like Kang Seung prosper, life truly becomes worth living.

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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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