The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 264

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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 264

Chapter 264. The Dragons and Phoenixes Gather (1)

The reason for my bewilderment.
It stems from an incident that occurred the second time the Plum Blossom Sword Master presided over the martial arts tournament.
An incident where a sword aura unleashed by a martial artist on the arena floor flew toward the spectators.
Of course, the Murim Alliance employs formation arrays to protect spectators.
A formation created long ago by a genius from the Jegal Family, possessing the ability to prevent attacks from ricocheting beyond a certain boundary.
That’s why we can watch from such close proximity.
But something went wrong that day—the martial artist’s sword aura flew directly toward the crowd without obstruction.
The masters nearby rushed to intercept it, but the suddenness of the attack meant casualties could not be prevented.
Worse still, it happened in the premium seating section.
The Murim Alliance controlled information about those seats, fearing a collapse in sales.
So I don’t know exactly which seats were affected.
I looked toward Mother.
In my previous life, Mother did not attend the Dragons and Phoenixes Gathering around this time.
That’s why she deeply regretted not witnessing Sister Hyang-ok’s brilliant performance.
In any case, that attack could have injured Mother.
The best solution would be to prevent the attack from occurring at all, but even the Jegal Family’s formation couldn’t stop it.
Yet I can’t prevent those martial artists from stepping onto the arena.
They too stood there with their own dreams of glory.
Though one promising martial artist had their sword broken because of that incident.
Regardless, the only way I can think of to prevent that tragedy is… singular.
Watch carefully and step in quickly to block it.
If I do that, my strength might become known to the world, but there’s no helping it.
I can’t warn the Guard Warriors about this beforehand.
If the attack comes toward me, the Guards might react and block it, but if it comes from another direction, only I, prepared in advance, could stop it.
Besides, I’ve already made preparations for when my abilities are revealed, thanks to the Northern Sea Ice Palace Master’s help.
Still, I should inform Master beforehand….
Regardless, this means I’m definitely attending the tournament with Mother.
.
.
.
Boom!
With the resonant sound of the drum, the preliminary rounds began.
The first pair to face off were a young master from a small martial family and a disciple from a small sect.
Now that I think about it, the Dragons and Phoenixes Gathering had strict eligibility requirements for participation.
First, one must have no disqualifying factors in their status for Murim Alliance recruitment.
This was admittedly somewhat ambiguous, but from what I understood, anyone without a record of crimes against the martial world, or who wasn’t affiliated with evil sects or the Black Path, could participate.
And the most important requirement was age.
Based on official records, only those under thirty years old were permitted to compete.
As I watched the martial artists crossing weapons and engaging in real blade duels, my mother’s and the Lady of Gwangjun Trading Company’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“There—that movement would tangle their footwork technique….”
“What a shame. It would have been better if their judgment had been quicker.”
“Oh! That attack could leave them open for a counterattack… Ah!”
Various commentary flowed from their lips, and I was somewhat surprised by how refined their insights were.
Everything they said was correct.
But… did Mother possess such discernment?
Why didn’t I know this in my previous life?
Then I smiled bitterly to myself.
Back then, I hadn’t paid much attention to Mother, so I simply hadn’t noticed.
I had known that Mother possessed talent in the martial arts.
But I had only known it vaguely. At that time, saving my own life came first.
After I saved my life with the help of the Black Flute Physician, I was busy managing the trading company.
I recalled the delighted expression on Mother’s face when I gifted her the Soft Sword I had obtained during my trip to Luoyang.
I had hoped that Mother would not abandon her dreams… yet I had forgotten again.
That Mother had once been a martial artist who dreamed of venturing into the martial world.
I nearly fell into regret once more.
“Young Jun Seung of the Ye Ryun Sect!”
“Waaaaaah!”
The match had been decided before I knew it.
“We will now begin the next duel!”
Two more martial artists ascended the Martial Arts Arena, and the match commenced with the sound of a drum.
The Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament required more than half a month just for the preliminary rounds.
Countless martial artists from across the empire had to face off against one another at least once.
Once only one hundred and eight participants remained, the main tournament would begin.
Thus, the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament proceeded for over a month, from early September to early October.
In any case, from what I could see, winning at the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament required not only overwhelming martial prowess but also could not ignore the luck of the draw.
The participants scheduled to compete that day all gathered on the morning of the event and drew wooden tokens from a box to determine their order.
The matchups were determined this way, and if one failed to draw a number token, automatic disqualification followed.
Then the reserve participants who had been called would draw their number tokens.
Honestly, without luck, one would face a strong opponent and be eliminated in the preliminaries; with good luck, one could advance to the main tournament and earn the reputation of a rising master.
Though some occasionally raised objections about this unfairness, the Murim Alliance’s position was firm.
Their stance was that luck was also a skill, and this was not wrong.
Surviving in the martial world required good fortune.
Or one’s martial prowess had to be so formidable as to create one’s own good luck.
.
.
.
Just before darkness fell and obscured everything, the first day’s preliminary matches came to an end.
After escorting Mother to the inn, I stepped back outside. I needed to check the day’s sales at the Eunhae Trading Company’s temporary shop.
“You’ve worked hard today as well.”
“Please, there’s no need for such courtesy.”
I offered words of encouragement to Yun Haengsu and the staff, then listened to their report on today’s sales figures.
The sales performance was respectable.
“As expected, the premium teas sold exceptionally well.”
“Indeed. Since the formal martial competitions haven’t begun in earnest yet, this is the perfect time for people to engage in conversation, wouldn’t you say?”
“That’s true enough.”
As the tournament progresses to higher rounds, emotions intensify and competitors must remain vigilant toward their opponents, leaving little room for leisurely conversation.
In truth, tea can be purchased and enjoyed at inns or tea houses.
But during this period, those establishments are packed to capacity.
When that happens, people have no choice but to drink tea at the inns, but honestly, it’s quite difficult for inns to satisfy the refined palates of martial artists.
Tea naturally absorbs moisture and odors from its surroundings, making proper storage challenging.
Many people find the mass-produced tea served at inns to be unsatisfactory.
For the same reason, even if martial artists bring their own tea to Luoyang, the flavor deteriorates quickly, forcing them to purchase fresh tea locally.
Moreover, martial artists are inherently suspicious by nature.
That’s why many of them enjoy purchasing quality tea themselves and brewing it fresh, and thanks to this preference, our Eunhae Trading Company’s temporary shop’s tea sells remarkably well.
“Soon, medicinal herbs will begin moving in larger quantities.”
“Undoubtedly.”
“Please continue to give your best efforts.”
“How could I do otherwise?”
As I made my way back toward the inn, I sensed a familiar aura.
This aura…
I’ve felt it before somewhere, but where exactly?
“Baek-a So Hyup. This doesn’t seem right.”
I smiled.
When I heard that familiar voice, I immediately recognized whose aura it was.
But the sharp edge in that voice suggested the situation was not favorable.
I quickened my pace toward the direction of the voice.
At a tavern, Jegal Yu-ah stood facing off against a young man.
Though it had been a long time since I’d seen her, she looked little different from how I remembered her in my previous life, when she was called the Jade Maiden Without Smile.
Even that cold expression remained unchanged.
But she hadn’t looked like that when I saw her before?
She spoke to her opponent in an icy voice.
“Manipulating matches in this manner serves no purpose whatsoever.”
Hm?
What was she talking about?
“I cannot condone buying and selling victories for money.”
“However, this benefits them as well. What they need is money, not victory.”
Ah…
Hearing that exchange, a memory from my past life surfaced. In truth, there was one form of corruption in the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.
It was a corruption called “buying victory”—purchasing wins with money.
Since the list of preliminary round participants was posted the day before, it was a corruption that could be prevented.
They would approach someone beforehand and agree: “If you lose to me when we face off, I’ll pay you a substantial sum.”
It centered on the descendants of prestigious families who coveted glory, and eventually it was exposed.
The entire martial arts world was thrown into upheaval because of it.
They confessed that they had committed such corruption to live up to their families’ expectations.
At the time, their families claimed they knew nothing of such corruption… but did they really?
That couldn’t be.
They must have known and simply turned a blind eye.
After all, from the family’s perspective, there was nothing wrong with good results, however they were achieved.
So this corruption had already begun.
With that, Jegal Yu-ah stepped out of the tavern, and in that moment, her eyes widened.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Oh? Eun So-hyup?”
The moment Jegal Yu-ah saw me, her eyes curved beautifully. A smile bloomed across her cheeks.
That alone was enough to make her seem like a different person from the one I’d just witnessed—her expression had transformed so completely.
“What brings you here?”
“I came because of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament. Various trading companies set up temporary shops and conduct business during it.”
“Ah… now that you mention it, you are indeed a member of the Merchant Guild.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“What a surprise to meet like this! It’s sudden, but I’m truly delighted. I’ve actually wanted to see you many times.”
She continued.
“You are a benefactor to our Jegal Family.”
“I’m merely grateful that you still remember me.”
I cupped my fist in salute as I spoke.
“I heard from Yu Chief Manager that you had left on the Zamryong Journey. When did you return?”
“I returned recently. And I’ve officially had my name registered in the Jegal Family genealogy.”
Having one’s name registered in the Jegal Family genealogy.
That meant she had been officially recognized as a member of the Jegal Family.
“My congratulations.”
“This is also thanks to you. If it weren’t for you, I would have lost my place to return to.”
“That’s an overstatement.”
Though I demurred, in my past life, her words had been true.
She had lost her place to return to, and she had lost her smile.
But not anymore.
Jegal Yu-ah had completed her Zamryong Journey and returned, becoming a true member of the Jegal Family.
She spoke with a smile on her face.
“It’s not mere speculation. In any case, I’m truly delighted to see you like this. Ah! Rather than standing here, why don’t you come with me? Grandfather will be overjoyed.”
So the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder had come as well.
But I gently shook my head.
“Miss, the night has grown quite late. And if I’m not mistaken, you have your preliminary match tomorrow.”
“That’s right. I’m competing in the preliminaries tomorrow.”
“Then you should hurry back and rest. Without sufficient sleep, you won’t be able to perform at your best.”
At my words, Jegal Yu-ah placed her hands on both cheeks and spoke.
“Are you worried about me right now?”
At that question, I let out a soft laugh.
“Yes. So meeting the Grand Elder can wait until tomorrow….”
That’s when I noticed no one was accompanying her.
“Miss, did you not come with your Guard Warrior?”
“Well, we did come together, but since the gathering seemed like it would take a while, I told him to come back later.”
“It appears to be a gathering of the young heirs of the martial world’s prominent families.”
“Well, yes. But if that had been the purpose, I wouldn’t have come. I’ve needlessly soiled my ears.”
As she grumbled thus, she suddenly became aware of my presence and flinched.
“It was a gathering for match-fixing, then.”
“…You know about match-fixing?”
“Yes, we merchants know far more than you might expect.”
“I see. How embarrassing.”
She had probably never heard of match-fixing before. This was her first time competing in a martial arts tournament, after all.
“And I would like to commend you for not involving yourself in such match-fixing.”
At my words, she spoke.
“I dislike cowardice as well. But would it be alright to tell Grandfather about this?”
“That’s fine, but it won’t be of any use.”
Because there was no evidence.
That’s why match-fixing could continue unabated.
When it was eventually discovered, it was under rather unusual circumstances.
At my words, she paused to think for a moment, then sighed.
“You’re right.”
The intelligent girl quickly grasped my meaning.
“In any case, since you’re leaving, allow me to see you off.”
Jegal Yu-ah was staying at a branch residence near the Murim Alliance, she had said.
When a clan of considerable renown in the martial world existed, it was customary to maintain at least one branch residence in Luoyang.
As I walked with her toward the Jegal Family Branch Residence, I swallowed a bitter smile.
The martial world truly operates in a chaotic manner.

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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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