The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 263

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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 263

Chapter 263. The Dragons and Phoenixes Gather (3)

At Hae Cheong Shen Ni’s words, Mother tilted her head in confusion. Then Hae Cheong Shen Ni smiled and spoke.
“Might you be the daughter of the Yeongseon Family?”
“How did you know?”
“About twenty years ago, when I traveled to Gansu Province with my Master, I once visited the Yeongseon Family Residence.”
“Ah….”
Mother laughed warmly.
“Now I remember. You were the one who came with Master Sujung.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“What a small world. I never thought we’d meet again like this.”
“Neither did I.”
Hae Cheong Shen Ni smiled with affection.
“It brings me joy to encounter such an old connection once more.”
“And to think that Hae Cheong Shen Ni is my nephew’s Master! Fate truly works in mysterious ways.”
At that moment, Father spoke gently.
“Perhaps we could catch up later. For now, shall we have our meal? The disciples are waiting.”
“Oh, of course.”
“That sounds good.”
We all took our seats, and the dishes began to arrive. They were Sichuan specialties that Mother had specially ordered.
I watched Mother conversing with Hae Cheong Shen Ni and fell into contemplation.
The Yeongseon Family Residence.
That was my mother’s bride’s family home.
But I had rarely visited. I only had vague memories of going once or twice as a child.
Since I turned fifteen, I had been too busy and the distance was too far to visit.
Later, I came to regret it.
I wished I had visited my Maternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother at least once more before they passed away.
This time, I would not harbor such regrets.

However, the disciples of the Ami Sect ate far less than I expected. Only Sister Hyang-ok consumed her food with an almost vacuum-like intensity.
Why was that?
Martial artists, who exert their bodies constantly, typically eat voraciously regardless of age or gender—so why the restraint?
Did the food not suit their palates?
That was when Sister Hyang-ok sighed and spoke to me.
“Seo-ho.”
“Yes, Sister.”
“Once you’ve finished eating, go back upstairs.”
“Pardon?”
“Right now, because of you, my junior sisters are just picking at this delicious food instead of eating properly.”
I couldn’t comprehend her meaning and could only tilt my head in confusion.
That was when Palgap interjected with exaggerated urgency.
“Goodness! Young Master! When a handsome man like you is watching them so intently, what woman would dare eat with abandon?”
“That’s… what this was about?”
“If you ask me, even men couldn’t manage it under such scrutiny.”
“…Why are men suddenly part of this?”
“Anyway, that’s the point. So stop interfering with their meal and let’s head upstairs at once.”
Thus I was dragged by Palgap’s hand toward my guest room, and I glanced back over my shoulder.
Only then did I witness the Ami Sect disciples consuming their food with fervent intensity, and I felt a peculiar embarrassment wash over me.
But Palgap, why were you so delighted about all this?

* * *

After finishing her meal, Hae Cheong led her disciples toward the Yu-wol Inn where they were staying.
She had intended to treat her disciples, who had suffered greatly just getting here before the preliminary rounds, to a delicious meal.
A full stomach would give them the strength they needed.
Yet she had unexpectedly received such treatment instead.
She learned that her disciples had been insulted by ruffians when they went to register for the Martial Arts Tournament today.
She deeply regretted sending only her disciples to deliver the Sect Leader’s letter.
She should have moved with them even if it meant delivering the letter later. She should have shown those vile creatures a taste of her wrath.
If she had been there, would any of them have dared to wag their filthy tongues?
She had one older sister.
Her sister had raised her with utmost care, taking the place of their parents who had passed away early.
That sister was her entire world.
But she had been murdered by a lustful beast, and she herself had nearly fallen victim to the same monster.
It was her Master who had cut down that beast and saved her.
She wanted to avenge her sister.
Of course, her Master had taken that vengeance upon herself, but the image of her sister’s death would not fade from her memory.
More than that, she felt she could not live unless she held onto such a resolve.
Her sister had always said the same thing.
If you persevere and live steadfastly, a moment of happiness will come someday.
So she asked her to promise to live with that same steadfastness.
She had chosen the path of vengeance to keep that promise with her sister.
Her Master was a disciple of the Ami Sect.
She had clung to her Master, and eventually became a renowned disciple of the Ami Sect.
Fortunately, she possessed talent.
With solid talent combined with fierce determination, her martial skills developed remarkably, and she finally became an inner disciple.
And the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, which she had first participated in.
There, she made her name known by mercilessly crushing a young master from a martial family who had mocked her with vulgar words.
And the number of lustful beasts she had cut down since then had become her reputation in full.
‘Still… Hyang-ok’s cousin…’
When Eun Hyang-ok became an inner disciple, she was given the dharma name Hyang-ok.
The name Hyang-ok suited her perfectly, and it was also one of the conditions for Eun Hyang-ok to become an inner disciple.
And yesterday, the moment she saw Eun Seo-ho, who was said to be her cousin, she did not show it outwardly but was startled.
He clearly seemed to have learned martial arts, but she could not properly gauge his level.
In other words, it meant he was at the peak level or beyond.
At that age to be at the peak level or beyond—such a level could not be explained without some extraordinary fortune.
‘But it seems he is hiding his true level…’
Otherwise, he would not have spent money to help her disciples when he could have helped them.
‘With mere presence alone, he could have made them submit.’
She had probed Hyang-ok subtly, but she showed no sign of knowing.
So she too pretended not to know.
And today,
Hae Cheong found herself face to face with a connection from long ago.
The Yeongseon Family Residence in Gansu Province that I had visited with my Master.
The second daughter of that family, renowned for her Soft Sword technique, possessed talent no less impressive than the heirs of major sects.
At that time, through my Master’s arrangement, I had sparred with her, and Hae Cheong suffered a complete defeat.
I had thought we would meet again someday in the martial arts world, but unexpectedly, she had become a merchant’s wife.
Seeing the way she and her husband looked at each other, their eyes brimming with love and trust, it seemed this was no political marriage.
‘So she yearned for him enough to turn her back on such renown in the martial arts world and become a merchant’s wife.’
Suddenly, Hae Cheong felt envious of her.
And it appeared that Eun Seo-ho had inherited his mother’s talent.
‘But still, reaching his peak at such a young age doesn’t make sense, no matter how I think about it….’
I had a premonition that something interesting would happen at this Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.

* * *

Time had passed, and the tournament registration had closed.
And today, the preliminary rounds of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament finally begin. That means the real business operations are starting in earnest.
In front of our tent, characters written in bold brushstrokes on cloth fluttered in the wind.

[Palgap Pharmacy’s Masterpiece! A Wonder Drug for Nervous Stomach Upset, Indigestion, Headaches, and More—Reassurance Pills]
[All Manner of Essential Medicines in Stock]

This time, Palgap Pharmacy also participated to take advantage of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament special.
And they accepted my advice to create medicine for various symptoms caused by nervousness.
In my previous life, I had come to this Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament several times and learned that more people suffered from anxiety-related ailments than I expected.
So back then, I created medicine for such symptoms and earned considerable profit.
This time, unlike my previous life, since the pharmacy is being run by Palgap Pharmacy rather than the Eunhae Trading Company, I offered my advice accordingly.
Of course, the more that sells, the larger my share becomes, so it’s a win-win situation.
Seeing people beginning to flock to the Palgap Pharmacy tent, my advice seemed to have hit the mark.
My eyes met with Yang Jin-soo, the head manager of Palgap Pharmacy. He nodded with a satisfied expression.
I also nodded back with a smile.
That said, it’s not as though our Eunhae Trading Company tent has no customers.
Medicinal herbs and tea were selling steadily.
And according to Yun Haengsu’s words, quite a few of them are regular customers of our Eunhae Trading Company.
They are grateful people who trust our company and purchase goods from us every time.
“Once the preliminary rounds are held today, medicine sales will increase in earnest.”
“That they will.”
“It’s almost time for the preliminary rounds to start. Aren’t you going?”
“I was just about to head out.”
For us merchants, observing the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament is important business.
Our course of action changes depending on who emerges as the champion.
And it’s also important to identify worthy candidates to support beforehand.
Of course, watching the main tournament is sufficient to see everything, so there’s no need to pay extra admission to watch the preliminaries.
Besides, I already knew the results, so I had planned to use that time for my personal training or to handle accumulated tasks.
But….

“Your mother wishes to observe the preliminaries from the start. So go with your mother.”
“Yes? What about you, Father?”
“I have matters to discuss with the other Merchant Guild Leaders, so I won’t be able to attend.”

The other Merchant Guild Leaders were still staying in Luoyang to witness the main tournament firsthand.
I had no reason to refuse Father’s words, so I accepted readily.
Honestly, I wanted to watch with Mother anyway.
.
.
.
Shortly after.
I headed to the preliminaries venue with Mother, Palgap, and three Guard Warriors.
I found myself wishing that Seo-woo Warrior could have joined us as well.
We made our way to Yumi Restaurant, our designated meeting place, and there we joined Bok Yun Sub-leader’s mother, who was waiting outside, before heading to the Martial Arts Tournament Grounds.
The Martial Arts Tournament Grounds were set up in the open ground in front of the Murim Alliance.
“Please show your admission tickets.”
We presented our tickets.
The Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament was not free to watch, and seating was even divided into tiers.
The best view of the martial arts arena was the first-class seating.
Behind that was second-class seating.
And third-class seating was where the competitors appeared about the size of a forearm.
Even third-class seating allowed you to sit and watch.
But fourth-class seating behind that required standing, and the competitors appeared about the size of a finger.
Naturally, the price of admission tickets varied by tier, and the tickets we held were second-class seating tickets.
That was the best grade available for purchase with money.
First-class seating was not sold to the public but distributed to prestigious families and renowned sects.
The second-class seating tickets were made of silver plaques.
I heard the first-class seating tickets were made of gold plaques….
Anyway, we presented our tickets and entered. Then we took our seats corresponding to the numbers engraved on our plaques.
“Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to watch.”
Palgap and the three Warriors also had to purchase tickets to watch the preliminaries with us, so this was an expression of gratitude for that.
At Seo-woo Warrior’s words, I smiled and replied.
“This is all an investment.”
“Sir?”
“If you observe and learn from what you see, you’ll become stronger. In other words, it’s for my own safety, so you don’t need to be so grateful.”
The Yeo Eung-am Warrior responded to my words.
“I shall repay my lord’s kindness without fail.”
It had been a jest, though….
I turned my gaze awkwardly toward the Martial Arts Arena with a wry smile.
The Martial Arts Arena was constructed from Biekgang wood.
Biekgang wood, which grew in high mountain regions, was renowned for being both remarkably hard and incredibly resilient.
Thus it was frequently employed in premium Martial Arts Arenas.
One might assume stone was used to construct Martial Arts Grounds, but it absolutely was not.
Should stone shatter and scatter during a match, not only the spectators but the combatants themselves could suffer grievous injuries.
Moreover, restoration proved exceedingly difficult when damage occurred.
There was a tale of some Martial Family once constructing a Martial Arts Arena from iron, which they dismantled after merely three years.
Maintenance proved far more demanding than anticipated, and even a minor fall during combat resulted in severe injury.
Furthermore, when weapons struck the Arena floor, the wielder sometimes sustained injury instead, or so the accounts claim.
Thus, in the current Martial Arts World, wood was the finest material for Martial Arts Arenas, with Biekgang wood being the supreme choice.
Boom, boom, boom—!
The drum sounded, and the preliminary rounds commenced.

“We shall now begin the preliminary rounds of the thirty-sixth Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament!”
“I wonder which rising masters shall stir your hearts this time.”
“In fact, this is only my second time serving as emcee for the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament. Haha.”
“Then, the first match is…!”

The emcee conducting the preliminaries proceeded with remarkable vigor.
Indeed… that was how one ignited the audience’s enthusiasm.
The man appeared light-hearted, yet he was nonetheless a master at his peak.
It had been quite some time since I last saw him.
He was a master of the Huashan Sect, the Plum Blossom Sword Master who wielded blossoms of plum.
His Plum Blossom Sword Technique, despite his carefree appearance, was said to be profoundly grave….
Wait… what did he just say?
This is only his second time serving as emcee?
Damn it!
I barely suppressed the curse that threatened to escape my lips.

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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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