The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 259

—————
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 259

Chapter 259. Luoyang Again (3)

At my words, the fake Bok Yun Sub-leader flinched.
Then someone asked.
“But do you have evidence that this person is a fake?”
I could sense the energy, so I’d noticed he was a fake.
But the others hadn’t cultivated their martial arts to that degree, so they wouldn’t know.
Moreover, even someone who’d reached the pinnacle of martial mastery wouldn’t notice unless they looked carefully—the disguise was that exquisite.
And I think I understand why they targeted Bok Yun Sub-leader specifically.
Since the Gwangjun Trading Company was in a distant place like Liaoning, their interactions weren’t particularly frequent.
So there were no people who could detect the sense of incongruity.
His parents were present, but they were too busy conversing with other merchant leaders to pay attention.
Then what were the Guard Warriors doing?
It was an unspoken courtesy that Guard Warriors didn’t enter inside the Banquet Hall.
Instead, security personnel hired by the host stood at various points.
In any case, I had evidence sufficient for the others to acknowledge that this person was a fake.
I wouldn’t have acted without thinking that much through.
“Bok Yun Sub-leader has already heard from me the secret to protecting the silver token. So shouldn’t different words come out rather than saying you want to know the secret?”
“Th-that was just to match the mood…”
“Let’s say that’s fine. But aren’t your hands too soft? You rode here from the North holding the horse’s reins. Your hands should be rough from that.”
Even if one wrapped cloth around their hands to prevent damage, there were limits.
“Did you think I’d fall for that? Of course I came by carriage…”
The Gwangjun Merchant Lord, who’d been watching us with his brows deeply furrowed, shouted in an angry voice.
“Carriage, my foot! Yun came riding a horse!”
“…!”
Still, the disguise was so meticulous that even Father hadn’t noticed it…
A skill as remarkable as Chun-il’s.
But the preliminary investigation was somewhat lacking.

* * *

Gwangjun Merchant Lord Bok Im-gil glared at the abomination wearing his son’s face.
From his recent words, it was clear this creature was not his son.
Bok Yun suffered terribly from carriage sickness and rarely traveled by carriage at all.
That was a fact known to only a select few.
If this impostor was not his son, then where in the world was his real son?
The thought made his blood run cold.
He turned to In Kang-su, the Se Bin Sub-leader who had hosted this banquet.
“Please permit me to bring my Guard Warriors inside.”
“Of course.”
Bok Im-gil immediately summoned the Guard Warriors who had been waiting outside.
“Seize this wretch at once, and tear that abominable mask from his face!”
“Yes, sir!”
They bound the false Bok Yun Sub-leader and ripped the human-skin mask from his face.
Screeeech—!
Blood spilled as they tore away the mask without mercy, but no one spared it a second thought.
Indeed, the face revealed beneath was entirely different.
“What have you done with my son?”
At Bok Im-gil’s icy cry, the man trembled and spoke.
“I, I didn’t kill him! I merely bound him and… threw him into the warehouse.”
“What?!”
Thud—!
“Gasp!”
Bok Im-gil drove his fist toward the man, and he tumbled across the floor.
Watching with cold eyes, Bok Im-gil commanded his Guard Warriors.
“To the warehouse, now!”
“Yes, sir!”
Yet something felt amiss—someone was missing.
Eun Seo-ho, who had been beside him moments ago, was nowhere to be seen.
Had it not been for him, I would never have detected this impostor masquerading as my son.
I felt ashamed of myself for suspecting him, thinking he meant to harm my boy.
“Where is Young Master Eun?”
“He headed in that direction just now.”

* * *

I’m rushing toward the warehouse.
I’ve visited this place several times in my previous life, so I know its layout well enough.
That’s how I knew—there was nowhere else in this compound to hide Bok Yun Sub-leader except the warehouse.
Of course, I couldn’t manage this alone, so I decided to seek help from Sakang Branch Master, and he readily agreed to assist me.
He’s the sub-leader of the Hongyeon Merchant Guild, which supplies weapons to the Imperial Palace.
And making weapons requires understanding them.
The best way to understand weapons is to master martial arts.
He too has mastered martial arts, and he’s the type of man so taciturn that he barely speaks.
I asked for his help precisely because I could anticipate what state Bok Yun Sub-leader might be in.
As I drew closer to the warehouse, I could sense Bok Yun Sub-leader’s presence, confirming my suspicions.
The warehouse door was secured with a sturdy lock, and Sakang Branch Master simply kicked it open.
Crash!
The door shattered in one blow.
Watching that, I could tell Sakang Branch Master possessed considerable strength.
Come to think of it, to become the successor of the Hongyeon Merchant Guild, one must work in the foundry for over a decade and earn the recognition of the master craftsmen.
“Bok Yun Sub-leader! Are you here?”
“Mmph! Mmph mmph!”
Someone’s muffled groans reached my ears, and I immediately rushed toward the sound.
“….”
I soon found Bok Yun Sub-leader, but his condition was far from pleasant.
His hands and feet were bound to a pillar, a gag stuffed in his mouth, and he wore nothing but undergarments.
Seeing him like this, fury surged through me once more.
How dare they reduce my old friend to such a state?
Suppressing my rage, I drew a dagger and cut through the ropes binding him, freeing him.
“Phew! Thank you for rescuing me.”
“What on earth happened?”
“I was standing on the railing for a moment… and I must have lost consciousness. When I came to, I was here.”
“Can you stand?”
He pushed himself up and tested his limbs, then nodded.
“Fortunately, I don’t seem to be injured.”
I exhaled in relief and draped my outer robe over his body.
Just then, Gwangjun Merchant Lord’s voice rang out from outside.
“Yun! Where are you? Yun!”
“Father, I’m here!”
At that cry, Gwangjun Merchant Lord and his Guard Warriors rushed into the warehouse.
It was fortunate we weren’t too late.
I’d managed to handle things before his guards could see him in such an embarrassing state.
“Yun!”
He embraced his son and exhaled in relief.
“Forgive your father for mistaking that impostor for you.”
“What? Fake? What do you mean?”
Se Bin Sub-leader was the one who explained the entire situation to the bewildered Bok Yun Sub-leader.
As the host of the banquet, he had followed Gwangjun Merchant Lord inside to confirm Bok Yun Sub-leader’s safety.
“First, I apologize as the host for this unfortunate incident. To explain the situation—someone wearing your face impersonated you. It was Eun Seo-ho Sub-leader here who saw through it.”
“Ah….”
“If it weren’t for Eun Sub-leader, you would have suffered much longer.”
At this, Bok Yun Sub-leader cupped his fists toward me in gratitude.
“I’m truly grateful. How can I ever repay such kindness….”
“There’s no debt between us. Aren’t we old friends? When a friend stands up for a friend, no one calls it a favor.”
“Eun Sub-leader….”
Bok Yun Sub-leader looked at me with moved eyes.
“Still, I worry that this incident might leave a bad memory of the Top Hundred Merchant Guilds gathering.”
He shook his head at my words.
“Not at all. Through this, I’ve gained another valuable lesson.”
His eyes were firm as he spoke.
Since Bok Yun Sub-leader said so, it was fortunate, but….
“By the way, why did he do such a thing in the first place?”
Se Bin Sub-leader answered with a bitter smile.
“Apparently, he tried to sweep away all the silver tokens.”
“….”
I had nothing to say.
While silver tokens are entertainment at the Top Hundred Merchant Guilds gathering, there are still lines that must be respected.
He had crossed that line far too much.
“The silver token entertainment only grants immunity for stealing silver tokens. He overlooked that it grants no immunity for other crimes, which is why he committed such acts.”
Se Bin Sub-leader spoke.
“It seems we merchants were looked down upon by them.”
Though he laughed outwardly, his eyes were sharp and cold.
Merchants may sometimes appear as people without pride, but in truth, they possess pride as strong as anyone else—they simply take pride in different domains.
And that impostor had touched Se Bin Sub-leader’s pride. Such an incident had occurred at a banquet he himself hosted.
That man was in serious trouble now.
I just hoped they’d leave some of it for me.
I too needed to make him pay for what he’d done to my old friend, or my heart wouldn’t feel at ease.
As I’ve said before, my temperament isn’t good.
“Young Master! Are you here? I’ve brought the clothes as you ordered!”
Before coming here, I had sent a telepathic message to Palgap requesting something.
The fact that the impostor was wearing Bok Yun Sub-leader’s clothes meant Bok Yun Sub-leader’s clothes had been stripped away.
It was fortunate that the inn was nearby. Palgap arrived with a bundle in his hands, breathing heavily.
“I’m here, sir.”
“Thank you.”
I took the bundle and handed it to Bok Yun Sub-leader.
“I had them bring my clothes. Isn’t this assembly crucial for us merchants? It would be best if you participated in the gathering wearing this for now.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m truly grateful, Eun Small Merchant Leader.”
Bok Yun Sub-leader and his father, Gwangjun Merchant Lord, expressed their deep gratitude to me.
The reason they had traveled all the way from distant Liaoning was for the Baekdae Trading Company Alliance assembly.
Of course, there were events like the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, but for merchants, the Baekdae Trading Company Alliance assembly was paramount.
It would have been a waste of opportunity to return to the guest quarters for such a matter.
Bok Yun Sub-leader put on my clothes.
The garment Palgap had brought was not something I wore myself, but since it had been my original choice, it was refined and splendid.
It was certainly not the sort of attire that would appear out of place at such an occasion.
Moreover, the fit was excellent as well.
“How does it look?”
“Is it truly acceptable for me to borrow such a fine garment?”
“Yes.”
That outfit was far more magnificent than the one Bok Yun Sub-leader had worn earlier.
It suited him well.
.
.
.
A moment later.
We returned to the Banquet Hall.
As Father approached me, Gwangjun Merchant Lord bowed respectfully to him.
“I have received a great kindness from Eun Seo-ho Sub-leader.”
“Ahem, I’m delighted that Seo-ho was of service.”
“I shall not forget this debt of gratitude.”
As I watched the two of them exchange pleasantries, Han Baek-geon Sub-Master beckoned to me from across the way.
I proceeded in that direction alongside Bok Yun Sub-leader and Sakang Branch Master.
“I’m relieved you’ve returned. Did anything troublesome occur?”
Bok Yun Sub-leader nodded with a smile.
“Thanks to Eun Small Merchant Leader, we are unharmed.”
“I was quite frightened earlier!”
As they spoke, others approached us as well.
“What on earth happened? Is everything well?”
“Yes, everything is fine.”
“No matter how coveted the silver token is, that’s no excuse… Tsk, tsk.”
Suddenly, I noticed that the impostor was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is that person?”
“Ah, our guild’s guards took him away.”
The one who answered was In, the son of the Sebin Merchant Guild’s Sub-leader.
Designated as the next guild leader, he possessed considerable talent for commerce, though not quite to the level of his grandfather or father.
“Is that so?”
“It appears there will be no entertainment guarding the silver token this time.”
“That does seem to be the case.”
Stealing the silver token in a situation like this?
Then I have to acknowledge their audacity.
“And we are currently interrogating the accomplices.”
Indeed… what happened to Bok Yun Sub-leader could not have been done by a single person.
Not only the guards inside the Assembly Hall, but confining Bok Yun Sub-leader to the warehouse without anyone noticing required organized coordination.
There must certainly be multiple accomplices involved.
Of course, there are quite a few here who came targeting the silver token. However, not all of them can be called accomplices to this imposter…
Ah. Now that I think about it, didn’t Chunil Officer say he came to Luoyang with Father?
.
.
.
The assembly ended.
Se Bin Sub-leader officially declared the assembly closed, and people began leaving one by one.
“Seo-ho, let us depart as well.”
“Yes, Father.”
I exchanged farewells with the others and returned to the Inn with my parents.
On the way back to the Inn, I carefully spoke to Father.
“Father. I wish to meet with Chunil Officer.”
“If you hang indigo cloth from the Inn window, he will come. Is this because of what happened today?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“I cannot simply overlook those who laid hands on my old friend, can I?”
Mother, who had been watching me, nodded her head.
“I too believe they crossed the line far too severely this time. So if you are to act, do so decisively.”
I had not expected Mother to say such a thing.
Now that I think about it, I had sent an enormous number of fine horses as repayment for saving Bok Yun Sub-leader from an assassin targeting him before.
It seems that through that incident, a friendship developed between Mother and Bok Yun Sub-leader’s mother.
Indeed…
Mother was a daughter of a martial family.
And it is said that in Liaoning, due to the harsh natural environment, the women also ride horses and shoot bows.
So Mother and she must have gotten along very well.
In any case, with Mother saying such things, I could not help but act decisively.

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