The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 234

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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 234

Chapter 234. My Elder Brother Jin-ho’s In-laws (4)

Bok Yun Sub-leader laughed heartily and elaborated.
“I can lend you a protective charm whenever you need one. However, I don’t think you’ll need one this time.”
“…?”
“You see, to the tribes of those grasslands, the Northern Sea Ice Palace is itself an object of fear and reverence.”
He leaned his upper body closer toward me and continued.
“I heard this from a friendly tribe long ago—apparently, one tribe once targeted Northern Sea Ice Palace disciples.”
“….”
“And they sent a letter to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, demanding compensation if they wanted their precious disciples returned.”
“Such audacity!”
“To resolve this, the Palace Master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace personally intervened, and I’m told that half of the grassland region froze over at that time.”
“….”
Half of that vast grassland frozen solid!
I could truly feel the power of the Northern Sea Ice Palace Master anew.
“Even that only happened because the Moyong Clan mediated in the middle of it all. In any case, after that incident, an unspoken rule emerged among the tribes of the grasslands: never lay a hand on the disciples of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
In other words, they valued their own lives too much to risk it.
“And the Lesser Palace Mistress is the next successor to the Northern Sea Ice Palace. How could anyone dare to stand in her way?”
“I see. I hadn’t realized how reassuring it would be to travel with the Lesser Palace Mistress.”
At my words, Bok Yun Sub-leader smiled and spoke.
“In fact, even without traveling with the Lesser Palace Mistress, you wouldn’t have needed a protective charm.”
“Is that so?”
“The rumors still spread thick among the tribes of the grasslands. They say if you see a young nobleman who moves like a swift wind and his subordinates, you should flee.”
At those words, I blinked my eyes.
Could he possibly be referring to me?
“It seems you caused quite a stir when you passed through the grasslands last time.”
“Haha. It just happened that way….”
I felt somewhat embarrassed and scratched the back of my neck.
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.
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The next day.
We set out again right after breakfast.
Thanks to Bok Yun Sub-leader’s help, we were able to gather ample supplies.
Yesterday, when I delivered Father’s letter to the Gwangjun Merchant Lord, I also offered my personal thanks separately.
Now, the remaining task was to stop by the Merchant Guild’s branch located in the Hunter Tribe and deliver Father’s letter and funds.
As we entered the Grassland Territory, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master manipulated the bracelet on her wrist.
Then, the character for ice—the symbol of the Northern Sea Ice Palace—was inscribed in the air in brilliant blue.
“With this displayed, no tribe in the grasslands will dare approach us.”
“So it’s a kind of protective seal.”
“Yes.”
Thanks to it, we traversed the grasslands swiftly without any interference.
“I shall guide you to the Eun Hae Trading Company Branch.”
Upon arriving at the Northern Sea Border, Jin Yu Warrior stepped forward as our guide.
He had remained there before, protecting the Hunter Tribe while the branch was being established.
That was also why we hadn’t brought a separate guide.
As we entered the Eun Hae Trading Company Branch in the Northern Sea, I saw people moving about busily.
“Hey, handle that fur carefully! That’s expensive!”
“No, no, you can’t put that there!”
Upon seeing us, those working there stopped what they were doing and quickly bowed their heads.
“Oh? Small Guild Master!”
“What brings you to this place?”
Their reaction was natural. Two Small Guild Masters had arrived at what could be called a remote outpost.
It meant Father had made this decision after careful deliberation.
“I had business in the Northern Sea and stopped by on the way.”
“Where is the Branch Manager?”
“He is currently at the Hunter Village.”
At those words, we set down our luggage there and headed toward the Hunter Village.

“Come now, please partake.”
“Hahaha! So this is the renowned wine of the Eunhae Trading Company!”
“Indeed! The taste is exquisite!”
The moment we entered the Hunter Village, I saw the Branch Manager and hunters seated outside at a table, drinking together.
“When we visit next time, I must present you with some of our Eunhae Trading Company’s finest spirits.”
At my words, those who had been drinking suddenly startled and leaped to their feet.
“Oh! Sub-leader! The Second Sub-leader has come as well!”
“We stopped by on our way to the Northern Sea.”
Though it was technically work hours, I did not reproach them for drinking.
I understood their purpose was to foster camaraderie and strengthen bonds.
In other words, this too was part of their duties.
“Ah, allow me to introduce. This is my Second Sister-in-law.”
“I heard news of you from those who came before to collect hides. I regret being unable to attend the wedding ceremony.”
“Please, think nothing of it.”
This place was far too distant from the Main Headquarters for attendance to be expected.
And precisely because of that distance and the considerable autonomy required, I had appointed Soo Deputy Manager as the Branch Manager here.
In my previous life as well, he remained loyal to the company until the very end, and he enjoyed deep trust among all its members.
Bing Haerin had not come with us to this place.
The attention of the hunters made her uncomfortable.
The reactions from the Gwangjun Trading Company and the grassland tribes had already been burdensome enough—how much more so would it be here?

We gracefully concluded our time there and returned to the Northern Sea Branch.
There, I delivered Father’s letter and a sum of encouragement money to the Branch Manager, along with gifts we had brought.
“This is ginseng. Father sent it for you to restore your health.”
“Oh my! Thank you so much!”
Thus, I had completed all the tasks Father had commanded.
.
.
.
That evening.
Our party borrowed the branch’s spacious hall, and we all gathered there.
Since we would soon be entering the Northern Sea—the Snow Plain Region—preparations were necessary.
“Lesser Palace Mistress, when would be the best time to depart for the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
Though we had entered the fifth month and snow winds supposedly blew regularly, I asked one who knew well, since I was unfamiliar with their patterns.
“We may depart tomorrow. For the time being, there appears to be no sign of snow winds.”
“Then we are fortunate.”
“Well, if I am traveling with you, the timing matters little regardless.”
“Pardon?”
At my question, the Lesser Palace Mistress simply changed the subject as if she had said nothing.
“In any case, the Northern Sea is dangerous not merely because of the cold. It is the presence of spirit creatures that hunger for blood.”
I nodded at her words.
The memory of Seolrang, whom I had met on my previous visit to the Northern Sea, came flooding back.
“And the spirit creatures of the Northern Sea are formidable.”
“It matters not. I have dealt with the Blood Tiger using this spear.”
At Elder Brother Jin-ho’s confidence, the Lesser Palace Mistress shook her head in warning.
“The spirit creatures of the Northern Sea are far stronger and more cunning than those of the Central Plains.”
“….”
“It is not merely myself and Eun moving about—everyone here will be in motion. Thus, there will be many blood-hungry spirit creatures approaching to prey upon us. They are always famished, you see.”
“Gulp.”
At her words, the sound of someone swallowing nervously echoed from somewhere.
“That is why I have made these preparations in advance.”
Bing Haerin, the Lesser Palace Mistress, explained to us what we should do when facing danger in the Northern Sea.
And we also discussed countermeasures for encountering spirit creatures.
“If you encounter a spirit creature and its eyes are blue, do not attempt to fight. Simply retreat quietly, and it will go on its way naturally.”
“Understood.”
“If the eyes are red, it is a blood-hungry spirit creature. Dangerous. In such cases, it would be wise to form a formation and move together.”
The formation she taught us was the Wheel Formation, though it was a rather unique variation.
It was designed to protect the horses and those in need of protection while three of us simultaneously coordinated our attacks in a rotating pattern.
Thus, we completed all our preparations for the journey to the Northern Sea.

The next morning.
We crossed over into the Northern Sea.
At last, the end of our journey was coming into view.
A wind mixed with snow blew past, but compared to the Seolpung, this was nothing.
“Huh… it really is snowing.”
To Elder Brother Jin-ho, the sight of snow falling in the fifth or sixth month seemed remarkable.
“Of course it’s real snow. What, did you think it was fake snow?”
“It just feels beautiful somehow.”
“Don’t lose focus. As you learned yesterday, most of the spirit creatures here are white in color, so they blend in with the snow.”
“Got it.”
I glanced at Elder Brother’s Wife beside Elder Brother Jin-ho.
She seemed slightly excited, perhaps because she was finally about to meet her mother.
I recalled when the Yangyang Martial Hall Master brought his daughter Hyun-i, he had said that any daughter born to a woman of the Northern Sea Ice Palace must necessarily become a disciple of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
But when we met in Hangzhou afterward, his words had changed.
He said that even daughters have the right to choose.
Something seemed odd about this.
Were there exceptions?
I asked Bing Haerin, the Lesser Palace Mistress, about this matter.
“Both statements are correct.”
“Pardon?”
“Originally, children have a choice. However, some do not.”
“?”
She continued.
“For instance, daughters born before the age of thirty to those bearing the Seol surname must become disciples of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“Does the Seol surname hold special significance?”
“They are those who have reached the pinnacle of mastery. Since they are the children of such individuals, there is a high likelihood they were born with exceptional talent.”
“In other words, you refuse to let talent slip away.”
“You may think of it that way.”
In any case, my Elder Brother’s Wife was walking the path of an Escort Master, and her mother had attended the wedding ceremony only briefly and left just as quickly to avoid any complications arising from her connection to me.
She was making such efforts to avoid becoming entangled in incidents linked to me.
If Eun Jin-ho’s Mother-in-law learned that her daughter and son-in-law had crossed this treacherous terrain to meet me, she might deliberately respond with coldness.
I hoped that even if she did, it wouldn’t wound him.
With such thoughts, I looked at Elder Brother Jin-ho and soon let out a quiet laugh.
That brother of mine was not someone to be cowed by such things.
As we continued walking along the Snowy Path, I stopped. Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, seemed to have noticed something as well.
“Halt! Everyone dismount. Spirit Creatures ahead.”
At her command, we dismounted.
Horses are extremely sensitive, and if startled by Spirit Creatures, we could fall and suffer grave injuries.
“Prepare for combat.”
As we each drew our weapons and formed a formation, white shapes came rushing toward us.
A pack of white wolves. Seeing this, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, let out a sigh.
“Seolrang from the start…”
“It seems we must have looked appetizing to them.”
At my words, she laughed softly.
“I suppose so.”
Soon the Seolrang drew near, their eyes gleaming a blood-red crimson.
We calmly stood our ground and fought them.
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, and my Guard Warriors fought as expected, and the warriors of Eun Feng Guard Unit Six also fought quite well.
And surprisingly, Elder Brother’s Wife fought well too.
After all, Severed Meridian Syndrome was originally an affliction that befell those of exceptional talent.
And she had learned well from Ha Pyo-doo.
The sword technique she wielded was familiar to me.
Seol Yeong Sword Technique.
I had not learned it, but it was the first technique disciples of Seolpung Palace learned.
When I first learned of that technique, I wondered why I had not been taught it, but I understood later.
The technique was already woven into the Jinseol Twelve-Form Sword Technique I had learned, so there was no need to study it separately.
One by one, the numbers of Seolrang began to dwindle.
Geumryeong proved invaluable once again.
Because of Geumryeong’s aura, the Spirit Creatures hesitated when they approached me.
I should give her a silver coin next time.
“…!”
That was when it happened.
A sudden electric tingle raced down my spine, and I flinched involuntarily.
What is this? What on earth….
“Fall back!”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master’s sharp cry pierced the air.
Everyone scrambled backward, and then I saw the colossal beast approaching us.
An overwhelming size—as if two thatched cottages had been merged together.
“It’s the Seolrang Alpha.”
The rumbling growl made my hair stand on end. This was no trivial opponent.
Of course, it wasn’t beyond our capacity to handle, but we couldn’t defeat it without casualties either.
Since we were still at the entrance to the Northern Sea, suffering damage now would be problematic.
I needed to repel it with minimal losses….
As I desperately racked my brain,
“Squeak-!”
Geumryeong burst from my sleeve and planted itself before the Seolrang Alpha.
A battle of wills erupted between the two spirit creatures.
A crimson aura rose from the Seolrang Alpha, while golden energy bloomed from Geumryeong.
When spiritual energy manifests visibly like this, it means they’re extraordinarily powerful.
The standoff continued for what felt like an eternity.
“Kee-eeng….”
In the end, it was the Seolrang Alpha that retreated.
The creature tucked its tail between its legs and turned away quietly.
The other Seolrang followed suit, fleeing in panic.
“Phew….”
“Haah….”
We exhaled sighs of relief. I lifted Geumryeong with both hands and spoke.
“Thank you. I owe you my life.”
“Squeak!”
Geumryeong held its head high with pride.
That’s right, you’ve earned it.
To think that even the Seolrang Alpha would flee from you—you’re truly remarkable!
But wait, I don’t think I saw that golden, tangible aura before….
Has this little one grown?
Just then, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master’s voice came from beside me.
Her eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling.
“Could that possibly be… Han Ho-su?”
I knew she’d recognize Geumryeong. There was no way a flimsy excuse would work here.
“That is….”
“Please tell me the truth, Sohyup. What exactly is its identity?”

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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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