The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 219

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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 219

Chapter 219. Karma Repaid (8)

At my signal, Jin Yu Warrior opened his eyes, then donned his mask and tied the straps firmly in place.
– I’m ready.
– Go ahead. I’ll follow behind.
– Yes.
Jin Yu Warrior took a deep breath and drew his blade.
The sword, dulled with ash and treated to a matte finish, looked particularly cold in the morning light.
Whoosh—!
Jin Yu Warrior launched himself forward, and Seo-woo Warrior and I followed in his wake.
Was this the hour of vengeance? Or the hour of karma repaid?
Regardless, one thing was certain—it would be hell for them.
Scrape—!
This time, I held no mercy in my hands.
Unlike last time, they needed to disappear without a trace to truly trouble the Murim Alliance.
Besides, these were disciples of families loyal to the Murim Alliance.
Even if they were ruffians, as members of their respective families, they wouldn’t suffer the same hardships as Ma Jang-ju’s guards had.
Their families would likely pay compensation and hush it up.
Then they would continue their reckless ways, and innocent people would bear the cost.
So it was better that they disappeared here.

* * *

Sagu Vice-Commander jolted upright from his narrow cot, his body trembling with killing intent so palpable it seemed to tear the very air.
‘How dare they!’
He seized his sword and bolted from the barracks.
But the situation was already dire.
Most of his men, having drunk heavily, could barely stand and were collapsing helplessly one after another.
“You bastards! What in the blazes is this!”
At Sagu Vice-Commander’s shout, the intruders turned their heads toward him.
Laughing masks.
The moment he saw them, a chill ran down his spine.
‘Was that testimony real?’
But he quickly shook his head, suppressing his fear, and tightened his grip on his sword.
If these bastards were the perpetrators of that incident, they would surely know where the ten thousand gold taels were hidden!
“You have the audacity to ambush us? How bold. I’ll capture you and recover the missing gold!”
Though some of his men had fallen to the surprise attack, now that he had stepped forward, the situation would be resolved swiftly.
Having recently reached the pinnacle of martial mastery, his confidence soared to the heavens.
He channeled that confidence into his sword strike.
Clang!
But contrary to his expectations, his blade was easily parried.
“Impressive!”
“….”
The opponent showed no sign of alarm despite blocking his strike.
The eyes visible beyond the mask were cold and piercing.
“Tch, ugh!”
An ominous feeling washed over him, but he tried to shake it off by striking again.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Crash-crash-crash!
Blades clashed repeatedly, sending sparks flying.
Yet neither combatant gave ground, and a taut tension enveloped them both like a thread being pulled taut from both ends.
It felt as though it might snap at any moment.
Only then did Sagu Vice-Captain regain his senses and realize the truth.
His opponent’s martial realm was equal to his own.
‘Damn it! This bastard is at the pinnacle! Where did such a monster come from?’
Those attacking them were no ordinary bandits—they must harbor a grudge against the Murim Alliance itself.
He had to survive and relay this information to the Murim Alliance at all costs.
‘If I do, any problems can be smoothed over.’
That was when it happened.
‘An opening!’
He spotted a gap in the opponent’s left flank and lunged at it with predatory speed.
Just as his blade was about to touch the opponent’s ribs—
‘Huh?’
By the time I realized something had gone wrong, the dagger was already upon me.
But retrieving a blade that had already traveled so far was nearly impossible.
Moreover, as my upper body surged forward with the thrust, I couldn’t evade the strike with my face.
‘Damn it! Could that opening in my flank have been… a trap?’
Setting such a trap meant facing someone far superior in skill.
But I had realized it far too late.
Thunk!
“Gaaaahhh!”
I screamed from the searing pain in my eyes.
Crunch!
At that same moment, my right arm—the one gripping the sword—flew away.
Then the opponent’s blade touched my chest where my heart lay.
“At least this time it’s not a stone blade. I’m grateful I can avenge the Old Friends who died back then.”
“…!”
Only then did memories of the past flood my mind.
That child who had tried to pierce my chest with a stone blade, the child who had fled, and what we had done to them back then.
“You… you are!”
Squelch!
But I could say no more.
For Jin Yu Warrior’s blade had finally pierced Sagu Vice-Captain’s heart.
Thud.
And so he met a death far too peaceful for the sins he had committed.
But could he truly find peace even in the afterlife?
Considering the suffering his family would endure because of his death, peace seemed unlikely.
– There are no survivors.
At Seo-woo Warrior’s telepathic message, Jin Yu Warrior could finally look properly upon Sagu Vice-Captain whom he had slain.
He calmly retrieved the dagger embedded in Sagu Vice-Captain’s eyes and closed them.
The faces of his Old Friends who had died so miserably began to surface one by one.
Sixty-some warriors brutally massacred by the Baek Rae Group, and another thirty-some who died in subsequent training.
And…
Five more who fell during missions.
Jin Yu Warrior, the sole survivor among those who had been there then, had only just begun his revenge.

* * *

I caught sight of Jin Yu Warrior.
There was something refreshingly satisfied about his expression.
However, given that we had no time for leisure, I called out to him shortly after.
“Jin Yu Warrior, we need to clean up and leave this place now.”
“Yes, thank you for waiting.”
We hurried to begin our work.
We concealed the corpses and wiped away the bloodstains. Then, after gathering our belongings again, we left scattered traces to suggest we had dispersed in different directions.
Of course, this time as well, ten thousand gold coins found their way into my secret vault.

Having completed our work flawlessly, we returned to the inn.
“Young Master, you’ve returned?”
“Yes. Nothing unusual happened?”
“No, nothing unusual occurred. As you instructed, I deliberately showed people the appearances of you and the two warriors.”
“Well done.”
I handed Palgap the Phantom Mirror and instructed him to use it to display the images of myself, Seo-woo Warrior, and Jin Yu Warrior to others.
The Phantom Mirror is an artifact that allows one to project illusions of oneself wherever desired.
However, the Phantom Mirror possessed another hidden ability.
It was that one could project not only illusions of oneself, but illusions of anyone one wished.
In other words, as long as one knew the person, anyone would suffice.
By utilizing this ability, Palgap created witnesses by showing our images to others.
If we’re going to do this work, we might as well do it perfectly.
We all descended to the first floor together.
“I’ve been working all day—I’m famished.”
“I shall order food for us.”
“Yes.”
Soon, a simple-looking noodle dish was laid out on our dining table.
As I ate the noodles, I organized my thoughts once more.
Now, what remained was to completely dispose of Ma Jang-ju. He must face the consequences of his crimes.
Payment for the sin of brutally murdering eight young ladies still remained outstanding.
Not long ago, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster had come asking about Jihyeon, who had presented grain to the Imperial Palace.
At that time, I had sought counsel from Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
He said that an Imperial Inspector, with sufficient evidence, could conduct investigations at their own discretion without requiring a complainant.
Evidence… Perhaps Jihyeon possesses something?
Though he fawns over Ma Jang-ju, surely there is resistance within him?
As the administrator responsible for the prefecture, his pride must certainly be wounded.
There must be something.
Evidence created with the resolve to make him pay someday.
.
.
.
Four days later, I made my way to meet Jihyeon, the county magistrate of Taekyung County.
“This humble merchant greets Jihyeon Dae-in.”
“Ah, what brings you here?”
“I apologize for intruding upon your time, knowing you must be occupied with recent unfortunate matters.”
“Not at all. In fact, I was just thinking of resting—my head has been aching. Would you care for some tea?”
“I would be grateful for it.”
We made our way to the Guest Reception Room prepared within the County Office.
To my surprise, Jihyeon personally brewed the tea.
“Please, have some.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
As I sipped the tea, I was inwardly impressed.
While the quality of the leaves was admittedly inferior to what I had tasted at the Ma Family Manor, the flavor was far superior.
In other words, this man possessed considerable expertise in the art of tea.
“Your skill in brewing tea is quite remarkable, Dae-in.”
“It’s nothing to boast of, but I appreciate your recognition.”
We exchanged pleasantries for about an hour before I carefully broached the main subject.
“What are your thoughts on Ma Jang-ju, Dae-in?”
“…He is a man who labors for the development of this village.”
Yet the glint in his eyes and the trembling of his hand holding the teacup betrayed his true feelings.
“Dae-in, you must be aware that Ma Jang-ju recently lost ten thousand gold taels.”
“Of course I am. Why state the obvious?”
“Do you also know why Ma Jang-ju needed such a vast sum?”
“I do. Ma Jang-ju committed to investing in the Pyo Bureau project being promoted by the Murim Alliance.”
“Then how do you suppose Ma Jang-ju obtained the funds to send after losing ten thousand gold taels?”
“…What?”
“Allow me to enlighten you. He sold everything he possessed to me. Which means Ma Jang-ju is now utterly destitute—stripped bare, as the vulgar saying goes.”
“Stripped bare… No, you mean penniless? Ma Jang-ju?”
Jihyeon’s eyes gleamed for a moment, but he soon shook his head.
“But surely the investment returns will arrive soon. I cannot judge so hastily.”
“Your information seems to be slow in reaching you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently, chaos has erupted within the Murim Alliance.”
“Chaos? What are you talking about?”
“The members of the White Thunder Group who visited here previously have gone missing. They all disappeared while transporting the gold taels.”
“…What?”
“The investment funds never reached the Murim Alliance, so they cannot even proceed with the project. How could Ma Jang-ju receive any returns under such circumstances?”
“….”
“Furthermore, most of the warriors who protected Ma Jang-ju are currently imprisoned in this County Office, undergoing interrogation.”
At these words, Jihyeon’s eyes widened as if a great realization had struck him.
“Only His Majesty the Emperor, who stands above all men, possesses the authority to manipulate the administration of this county, Dae-in.”
“That’s right!”
“But how could a mere Manor Lord intimidate Jihyeon, who came here with the Emperor’s mandate to govern this county? It makes no sense.”
“Exactly! You’ve hit upon it.”
Since Jihyeon’s reaction unfolded as I’d anticipated, I proceeded calmly to my next point.
“Which is why I’ve heard that Ma Jang-ju has had eight wives in total.”
“….”
“And they all took their own lives, did they not?”
“Ahem.”
He cleared his throat awkwardly and lifted his teacup.
“What is the truth of it?”
“That, well… why must you dredge it up?”
“Because it must be addressed. Is there any better way to ensure Ma Jang-ju faces justice? Besides, there is now an official from the Provincial Inspection Bureau present in this very place.”
His continued hesitation despite my words suggested he had suffered greatly at Ma Jang-ju’s hands.
“You have the investigation records, do you not?”
“….”
His failure to deny it immediately confirmed my suspicion—he did possess them.
“Then allow me to give you the courage to act.”
I produced my Imperial Inspector’s credential tablet and placed it before him.
“…!”
Jihyeon’s eyes widened at the sight of it.
“In truth, the Emperor himself is aware of this matter.”
“….”
“That is why I have come here.”
His hand trembled as he held the teacup, so violently that the tea nearly spilled over.
I took the cup from his shaking hand and set it upon the table.
Then, grasping his hand, I spoke.
“I understand. You are a victim in this as well, Ji Hyeon Dae-in. When everything in the county dances at Ma Jang-ju’s fingertips and dozens of elite warriors move at his command, what choice did you have?”
Only then did his lips part.
“He… he held a blade to my throat and said that if I didn’t wish to die a dog’s death, I would obey his every word.”
He opened his official robes and revealed his neck.
“This is the scar from that time.”
A rather lengthy scar remained visible.
I felt anew just how formidable Ma Jang-ju’s power had been.
That he could coerce the county magistrate himself to such an extent.
“Of course, I resisted at first. But once it came to this, I had no choice but to yield. As the guardian of this county, I am ashamed.”
I comforted him and asked once more.
“It is not yet too late. You have the investigation records, do you not?”
He nodded with a solemn expression.
“I do. I’ve kept records of all eight cases in secret.”
.
.
.
I had just left the County Office.
I found myself feeling an unexpected sympathy for Jihyeon.
Honestly, who wouldn’t act as Jihyeon did in such circumstances?
Yet Jihyeon had survived to the very end, watching for his opportunity, and now the moment had finally come to bear fruit.
I spoke to Lee Pil Warrior.
“Send word to the Eun Pung-dae Sa Group immediately. Tell them to come here at once.”
“Understood.”
“And Palgap.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Can you find me a hut?”
“A hut, sir?”
“Yes. The more dilapidated, the better. After all, I can’t very well evict someone without providing them at least a roof over their head.”

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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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