The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 258

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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 258

Chapter 258. Luoyang Again (2)

Cold sweat dripped down my back.
“How… did you find out?”
“Chun-il’s abilities turned out to be more impressive than I expected.”
“…”
So Chun-il was the culprit!
But to uncover even those matters?
I was the one who promoted him, but he’s truly remarkable.
“Of course, I don’t know all the details of those affairs. But still, couldn’t you have at least mentioned that such things existed?”
“I wanted to, Father. But these are matters of the Imperial Palace. I was cautious because we could easily be misunderstood.”
Father paused in thought before nodding.
“That’s a fair point.”
“So I intended to tell you about it separately and quietly.”
“I see. But do you know how worried your mother and I were when we heard you were involved in those matters?”
“I can only apologize.”
What could I say here?
I just had to keep my head down.
Fortunately, my parents understood that I couldn’t have written about those things in a letter.
Even if I sent letters through Geumryeong, putting such matters in writing felt inappropriate.

After leaving my parents, I entered my guest room, and Palgap approached in surprise.
“Why do you look so haggard all of a sudden?”
“Father scolded me.”
“…?”
I explained everything from start to finish, and Palgap nodded.
“Well, being scolded is only natural.”
“…”
I gave him a wounded look, but Palgap remained firm.
“More importantly, Young Master, the problem is that you keep throwing yourself into dangers that others wouldn’t dare approach.”
“I’m frustrated too. That wasn’t intentional on my part.”
“…”
But there was something strange in the way Palgap looked at me.
“What?”
“It’s nothing, sir.”

Night fell, and we headed toward the Marketplace Street of Luoyang.
The Jin Yu Warrior couldn’t move openly, so I had him stay at the inn.
Thus, my current party consisted of Palgap and three Guard Warriors—five of us in total.
Honestly, I wanted to rest, but I pushed through my reluctance to observe the atmosphere of Luoyang.
It had been nearly a year since I last came to Luoyang.
Observing what changes had occurred in Luoyang during that time was essential work for a merchant.
Luoyang was… much the same as ever.
Suddenly, I recalled the first time I came to Luoyang in this life.
The place where the Murim Alliance—the organization that killed me—had established itself.
That fact alone had made me reluctant to come here. But not anymore.
Last time, I had preempted the treasures the Murim Alliance sought to obtain, and I had also gained Heo Un as a talented individual.
It seemed those things had become medicine for me.
Judging by how unbothered I am now.
Still, whenever I see the Murim Alliance’s building, something wells up inside me—I can’t help that.
As I walked through the night streets, my eyes met those of a person standing in the courtyard of an inn.
“…!”
Master?
I quickly rushed to my Master and cupped my fist in salute.
“How have you been, Master?”
“Ah, Small Merchant Guild Leader, is it?”
“Yes, there is a Baekdae Trading Company Alliance meeting here, so I came this way.”
“I see.”
My Master pointed calmly toward the interior of the inn.
“Come inside and have a cup of tea.”
“Yes.”
I did not refuse my Master’s invitation.
Now that I thought about it, this inn was where the Changin Escort Agency stayed whenever they came to Luoyang.
I had heard it was a place the Murim Alliance’s reach did not extend to….
My Master guided me to his guest room and personally brewed tea, pouring it into a cup for me.
“I shall drink gratefully.”
“Yes.”
When I took a sip of the tea, I heard my Master’s voice transmission.
– Yang Eun-jik is dead, isn’t he?
“….”
– From what I hear, his superiors had him eliminated….
There are disciples of Seolpung Palace around me.
They must have been watching my actions, so this wouldn’t be something said in ignorance.
– It was actually me who did it.
– That was a dangerous move.
– I know. But thinking of how many would die because of him, I had no choice.
“….”
– Moreover, I was already deeply entangled in that matter, and if I made a mistake, both my identity and Master’s could have been exposed. Therefore, I had no choice but to take action. I apologize for causing you concern.
Master took a sip of tea and sent me a message through sound transmission.
– Still… you did well. In truth, that man deserved to die.
Wait… was he praising me?
– In fact, killing him was supposed to be my task.
What?
But Master offered no further explanation.
– I wanted to express my gratitude.
Now that I think about it, Master’s reaction when I mentioned Yang Eun-jik was unusual.
I sensed there was something deeply tangled in that matter.
But the reason he hadn’t killed him long ago was likely because he feared drawing public attention or revealing his own identity.
“The reason we’ve gathered here in Luoyang must be because of the upcoming Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He asks about matters that don’t need to be kept secret. Well, continuing to speak through sound transmission would look rather suspicious.
“So it seems I’ll be staying here until the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament concludes.”
“I see.”
Master nodded.
“I depart tomorrow. I’ve accepted a commission.”
“A commission?”
“An escort commission.”
Master continued.
“Once the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament begins here, countless people will gather.”
“That’s true.”
“Of course, there are many righteous martial artists dedicated solely to the way of the sword who walk the correct path, but unsavory individuals gather as well. Such disreputable people won’t simply ignore young women, will they?”
“Ah….”
“So during the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, we arrange for them to stay at relatives’ homes, but when they lack such relatives, they stay at the Huashan Sect.”
Now that I think about it, the Huashan Sect performed that role as well.
Of course, the closest major sect to Luoyang is the Shaolin Temple. However, Shaolin is forbidden to women.
That’s why the Huashan Sect took on that responsibility.
Though it’s a Daoist sect, it’s closer to secular life and accepts female disciples.
From what I understand, the Huashan Sect’s practice of housing young women during the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament is as long-standing a tradition as the tournament itself.
And through this, the Huashan Sect gained several unexpected benefits.
One of them was reputation.
“Normally, warriors from the Murim Alliance and the Huashan Sect provide escort, but there are those with circumstances who cannot travel with them.”
“So you accepted their commission.”
“Correct.”
So tomorrow he would depart from here with the women, heading to the Huashan Sect.
“Then I suppose we’ll meet again in Hubei.”
“That’s not the case.”
“…?”
“Personally, I find the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament quite intriguing, so I intend to observe it.”
– However, should we meet again, we may not be able to exchange greetings. I hope you understand.
“…?”
With that, our conversation ended, and I left the Inn with my Master seeing me off.
Then I walked through the Marketplace Street of Luoyang with my companions once more.
Such disreputable people….
Thinking of them, my neck suddenly tensed.
Honestly, we merchants found them equally unbearable.
They treated merchants as easy prey, causing trouble over trivial matters and overturning stalls without hesitation.
If only it ended there, we’d be fortunate.
Injuries from weapons were distressingly common.
And when someone stepped in to stop them, the situation paradoxically escalated.
These people, brimming with competitive spirit, eagerly seized any opportunity to join fights and showcase their martial prowess.
So when A and B fought, if A lost, C would emerge to fight B in A’s stead.
If B lost, D would come forward to fight in B’s place.
The reasons were remarkably varied.

“This warrior is my sect brother! So I must avenge the merchant!”
“Shouldn’t those of the same sect understand the sect’s feelings?”
“It turns out I once shared a meal with this warrior at the same Inn. Such a connection demands….”
“Since I wear the same color clothes as the merchant, isn’t this Heaven’s will that I must avenge him?”

These cycles of private feuds, where one side bites and the other retaliates, were not easily broken.
After all, one could always justify their actions.
However, there were those who severed such cycles.
They were patrol units composed of masters from the Murim Alliance, and their methods were so ruthless that whenever they appeared, people fled in haste.
They were truly reassuring figures for us merchants.
Thinking of this, I let out a quiet chuckle.
Aside from their underhanded dealings, they certainly took care of such matters meticulously.
Well, then again…
Even the Murim Alliance couldn’t properly sustain itself if they neglected such responsibilities.
They collect protection fees from merchants—if they didn’t do at least that much, they’d be no better than common bandits!
.
.
.
Several days later.
I dressed myself in splendid attire.
Today was the day of the Baekdae Trading Company Alliance gathering, so I dressed more lavishly than usual.
Palgap and my guards also dressed magnificently as we headed toward the gathering venue.
The gathering place was the same as last time.
Hongran Tower.
It was the largest tavern in Luoyang, and every time a gathering was held in Luoyang, this place continued to serve as the venue.
This time was no exception.
Upon arriving at Hongran Tower and entering, I saw a familiar face.
“Welcome.”
It was Bok Yun Sub-leader of the Gwangjun Trading Company.
“When did you arrive?”
“I just arrived in Luoyang today.”
We exchanged greetings with smiles.
“You must have had a difficult journey.”
“I’m grateful the gathering wasn’t held further south.”
Indeed, if the gathering had been in Hubei or Gangnam Region…
Just thinking about it from Liaoning was dreadful.
At that moment, the Gwangjun Merchant Lord approached, and together with Bok Yun Sub-leader, greeted my father, who accepted their greetings.
However, this was not yet the time to have a lengthy conversation with Bok Yun Sub-leader.
“Seo-ho, let us first greet the others.”
“Yes.”
Exchanging greetings with the other guild leaders of the Baekdae Trading Company Alliance and those of comparable standing was extremely important.
In the merchant world, ability mattered, but much was also accomplished through connections.
For example, when undertaking major ventures, the first thing one seeks is someone trustworthy.
And most of those attending here were guild leaders of the Baekdae Trading Company Alliance or their successors.
This meant they possessed considerable ability and were mutually trustworthy, making the connections forged here quite invaluable.
Of course, there were also unseen psychological games at play.
Thus, with my father’s introduction, I exchanged greetings with the Merchant Guild Leaders from other trading companies.
Many of them were people I had met before, so I could have pretended to know them, but since I was with my father, it was proper etiquette for him to introduce me.
So I waited quietly for my father to introduce me, and in that way, I greeted everyone.
And….
“Oh! We meet again, just as we did last time.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Namgung Kang.”
Namgung Kang, the Guild Leader of the Baekcheon Trading Company, was also present at this gathering.
Honestly, it was a face I had no desire to see.
But now my heart no longer raced, nor did cold sweat drip down my back as it once had.
I had gained confidence through having poached Heo Un, a talented individual under his command, and through securing the equipment that should have gone to his company.
“Yes, let us have an enjoyable time.”
“Thank you.”
I lifted my gaze and watched his retreating figure.
You can look forward to it.
I will strike you down hard from behind and crush you into the ground!

After greeting all the Guild Leaders, I was finally able to converse with those of my own generation.
“We meet again.”
“Yes.”
….
The still taciturn Sakang Branch Master, Bok Yun Sub-leader who had become my close friend, Han Baek-geon Sub-Master of the Hongnang Trading Company, and so on.
Before I knew it, I had formed connections with many of my peers in this lifetime.
“By the way, I heard they are enjoying entertainment again this time while protecting this silver token.”
“Yes, so I heard.”
“Come to think of it, I heard that the Eun Small Merchant Leader protected the silver token at the last gathering.”
At Han Baek-geon Sub-Master’s words, I nodded.
“That’s right.”
“The secret….”
“I too would like to know the secret.”
I spoke with a smile.
“It’s not really a secret.”
Then I glanced around and spoke in a low voice.
“Simply suspect everything around you. For instance….”
I reached out, grabbed Bok Yun Sub-leader by the collar, and threw him straight to the ground.
Crash—!
“What are you doing?”
Han Baek-geon Sub-Master cried out in surprise.
But I brushed my hands off dismissively.
“Because a fake can pretend to be real in this way.”
“A fake?”
Honestly, I don’t enjoy having all eyes on me, but I couldn’t tolerate someone impersonating my old friend.
I’d recognized immediately that this man was a fake.
The aura was different.
The fact that Bok Yun Sub-leader, who had been genuine just moments ago, had been replaced by a fake meant one thing—the real Bok Yun Sub-leader was being held captive somewhere.
That’s what infuriated me.
“M-me, a fake? What kind of nonsense is that! And to do something like this… I will lodge a formal protest!”
“Shh!”
I pressed a finger to my lips as I spoke.
“Keep quiet, unless you want to leave here in one piece.”

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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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