The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 266

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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 266

Chapter 266. The Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament (3)

I was momentarily flustered by Dang Dae-jung’s question.
Was he asking if I would also compete in the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament? Now?
I understood that the Lord’s cultivation level was at the pinnacle, approaching the Hwagyeong realm. It seemed he had discerned my own level and posed the question accordingly.
I answered with an embarrassed smile.
“I’m grateful for your favorable regard, but I will not be competing in the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Why not? You haven’t yet reached thirty years of age, so you would certainly qualify?”
“Lord, I am a merchant.”
….
“A merchant’s purpose is not fame in the martial world, but profit. Therefore, I will not compete in the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament. Does that answer suffice?”
At my resolute response, Dang Dae-jung smacked his lips.
“Since you put it that way, I suppose I have no choice, though it’s still a shame….”
At those words, Dang Su-bin spoke to Dang Dae-jung.
“Lord, that’s foolish of you.”
“Fool… ish….”
“Yes. Foolish! So stop pestering someone who says they don’t want to.”
Dang Dae-jung, looking awkward, scratched the back of his neck and spoke to me.
“My apologies.”
“It’s fine.”
I answered gently, and Dang Su-bin spoke to me.
“Still, I never expected to meet you here.”
“Ah… Every Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, our trading company opens temporary shops in the commercial district. I came for that business.”
“I see.”
“When will you compete in the preliminary rounds?”
“Ah, I won’t be competing in the preliminaries. I was among the one hundred and eight selected in the previous Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.”
“Ah, is that so?”
So Miss Dang had competed before as well.
The main tournament participants of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament fall into two categories.
Those who advanced to the main tournament in the previous martial arts tournament, and those who newly pass through the preliminaries.
Combined, they select a final one hundred and eight competitors.
However, for various reasons, the number of returning main tournament participants who compete again was smaller than expected.
From what I understood, there were roughly a dozen direct qualifiers for the main tournament this time.
The remaining nearly one hundred spots would be filled by new selections from this preliminary round.
The reason previous main tournament participants don’t compete in the preliminaries is quite reasonable.
It allows the preliminary competitors to gain more experience.
If I face a finalist from the start, the odds of immediate elimination are far too high.
Tang Jo-ung chuckled and spoke.
“I will be competing in this preliminary round.”
“But you’re still so young….”
I spoke with concern, but Tang Jo-ung replied with confident conviction.
“Once my birthday passes this time, I’ll be fourteen. Of course, I’m aware of my youth. But I don’t believe that being young means being weak.”
It was a fair point, so I nodded in agreement.
After all, I myself reached my peak before turning twenty.
“And Lord Dang Dae-jung has also encouraged me to compete.”
Lord Dang Dae-jung added with a pleased smile.
“He has already far surpassed what one would expect at his age.”
Indeed, his talent is remarkable.
Despite losing several years of martial arts training in my previous life, he reached the pinnacle of mastery.
Though he died young and never crossed into the transcendent realm.
I looked into Tang Jo-ung’s eyes and spoke.
“I’ll cheer you on.”
“Thank you, Great Hero.”
Ugh, I told him not to call me that… He seems to have forgotten already.
“Since we’ve met like this, would you care to join us for dinner?”
It was a kind offer, but I politely declined.
“I appreciate the invitation, but I’ve just finished eating. Any more and I fear I’ll burst.”
“Then that won’t do. I’ll extend another invitation when the time is right.”
“Thank you. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
With that courtesy exchanged, I bid farewell to Dang Su-bin and Tang Jo-ung as well.
“Wishing you victory.”
And so we parted ways, and I made my way back to the inn.
I wondered how many people I knew were already competing….
On my way to the inn, I saw tomorrow’s preliminary roster posted on the wall.
Ah… Sister Hyang-ok is competing tomorrow.
.
.
.
The next day, I headed to the Martial Arts Arena with Mother.
“Hyang-ok is competing today! I’m so curious to see what martial prowess she’ll display.”
I nodded at Mother’s words.
“Yes. I’m quite looking forward to it as well.”
“Still, I hope she doesn’t overexert herself… I’m torn between wanting to see her excel and hoping she doesn’t strain herself!”
At those words, Lady Gwangjun Merchant spoke.
“It can’t be helped. She’s family, after all.”
“Yes. That must be why.”
The bitter expression on Mother’s face from last night had vanished without a trace.
She was simply waiting for Sister Hyang-ok’s turn to compete, her heart brimming with anticipation.
Whether she had resigned herself to acceptance or was simply choosing to forget for now, I couldn’t say.
In the meantime, the announcer took the stage to conduct the preliminary rounds of the tournament, and soon it was Sister Hyang-ok’s turn.
Sister Hyang-ok was scheduled to compete third after lunch.
“…The next competitor is Hyang-ok, a disciple of the Ami Sect! Her opponent is Su Jin-uk of the Dongmae Sect!”
“Waaaaah!”
As my sister stepped forward, Mother let out a cheer of encouragement.
“Hyang-ok! You can do it!”
Noticing us, Sister Hyang-ok flashed a confident smile in our direction.
Boom—!
The drum sounded, and the match began.
After the initial probing, the two combatants’ blades clashed violently.
But then….
“How shameless!”
Mother’s voice rose in anger.
“That scoundrel! He’s doing it on purpose!”
The Lady Gwangjun Merchant also erupted in indignation.
It was because of Su Jin-uk, the warrior facing Sister Hyang-ok.
Just as it was an unspoken rule among martial artists not to target a man’s vital points during combat, female warriors were never struck at the chest.
To do so would be treated as nothing short of indecency.
Yet now… Su Jin-uk’s blade was clearly aiming for my sister’s chest.
“Oh my! My apologies. My blade slipped.”
“Haha. It slipped again, did it?”
Since he offered apologies each time, we couldn’t simply brand him a pervert outright.
But one only needed to look at Su Jin-uk’s eyes to understand the truth.
This was no accident—it was deliberate.
Was he mad? To attempt such a thing in front of all these witnesses?
Others began to notice as well, and murmurs rippled through the crowd with increasing intensity.
“Is that truly an accident?”
“Hmm….”
“Hmph!”
These were people who had spent their entire lives with blades in hand. They could not possibly mistake intent for accident.
In particular, Hae Cheong Shen Ni of the Ami Sect looked ready to leap onto the arena at any moment.
Ah, so this was why Sister Hyang-ok had restrained her sharp tongue back then.
At the time, I had only heard that her opponent had acted disrespectfully.
I would have been furious too.
Suddenly, I tensed. Sister Hyang-ok’s eyes had changed.
“How despicable….”
Seeing this, Mother clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“She’s angry.”
I offered my condolences to Sujin-uk Warrior in advance.
A chilling aura began to emanate from Sister Hyang-ok’s blade.
In that moment!
I caught a glimpse of that legendary tale—the one about subduing the tiger of Emei Mountain.
“Haaah!”
Sister’s sword shot forth faster than a tiger, and she struck down Sujin-uk Warrior’s blade.
Clang—!
Sujin-uk Warrior’s sword shattered in half.
Wow, if she could break an opponent’s blade with a single strike like that, Sister must be approaching the pinnacle of mastery.
Sister lifted her gaze and spoke to him.
“If your sword keeps making mistakes, it should be cut away.”
“….”
“And yet, with such clumsy swordsmanship, you dared enter the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament. I offer you my heartfelt applause for such courage.”
“Are you insulting me now?”
“Insult? My, what an interpretation. If that’s how it sounded to you… then at least your ears are functioning properly.”
“How dare you speak so brazenly in this place….”
“You were the one who moved your hands brazenly first. Why should I sit idle?”
Sister’s sharp words continued to pour forth.
“This is the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament Arena. To arrive here with skills so questionable you couldn’t even peel an apple properly! What do you take this tournament to be? It’s an insult to the Murim Alliance that hosts this tournament, to all the competitors, and to the spectators. And the Master who sent you out here lacks the qualifications to teach!”
Everyone nodded at Sister Hyang-ok’s words.
“She’s right!”
“Wow! That’s refreshing!”
“Absolutely! Couldn’t have said it better!”
At the crowd’s enthusiastic response, Sujin-uk Warrior’s face flushed red with shame.
Still clinging to his pride, he burst out.
“Don’t insult my sect and my Master!”
“Then you’re saying you do have proper skill? Is that what you mean?”
“Of course! I am a second-rate warrior!”
“Then your strike at my chest wasn’t a mistake. A second-rate warrior making over twelve mistakes… how remarkable.”
“That is….”
“Who judged you to be second-rate? Ah, you did it yourself, I see.”
“No, that’s not it! My Master said….”
He fell silent, unable to continue.
The more he spoke, the more he shamed his Master.
So why did he do such a thing in the first place… tsk tsk.
“And you say it was truly a mistake.”
“Is that so? Then….”
Sister’s eyes turned cold.
“You haven’t conceded yet, have you? Those hands that made mistakes—allow me to remove them for you.”
“Ha…”
But Sujin-uk Warrior couldn’t cry out his surrender. My sister’s fist had already buried itself in his face.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
Wow! Sister Hyang-ok, you’re fierce!
The crowd erupted in cheers at my sister’s actions.
“Waaah!”
“Amazing! Hyang-ok!”
But Sister Hyang-ok didn’t stop there—she drove her knee straight into his abdomen.
“Gah, gahhh!”
Under the relentless barrage of my sister’s unarmed assault, he finally collapsed onto the Martial Arts Arena floor.
My sister picked up her sword and pressed her foot firmly against his arm.
“Ahhhhh!”
She raised the blade in reverse grip, ready to bring it down upon his hand—
“W-wait! Please, just listen to me!”
What’s this?
He continued, his expression pathetic and desperate.
“T-the truth is, there were people who ordered me to humiliate you.”
What?
The crowd murmured at his words.
“Who? Who ordered this?”
“Th-those men over there!”
He pointed with his finger toward a location. Standing where his finger indicated were four Debt Collectors.
Hm? Their faces seem familiar somehow…
Ah! Those are the ones who hurled vulgar insults at Sister Hyang-ok’s group while we were waiting in line before.
I began to understand the full picture of what was happening.
The other Ami Sect disciples also seemed to realize this, as they suddenly stood up and shouted.
“What? Those men?”
“They’re the ones who mocked us with crude language before!”
“We even made them sign a pledge that they’d never do such a thing again…”
The Debt Collectors waved their hands in panic.
“W-what are you talking about…?”
“When did we ever do that…?”
As they denied it, Sujin-uk Warrior suddenly bellowed.
“So you’re saying I’m a liar? There’s clearly a contract right here…!”
He pulled out a contract from his robes and thrust it forward.
Sister Hyang-ok took it and read it. Her lips twisted into a grim line.
“A contract stating that if you humiliate me, you’ll pay ten silver coins. And the names written here match the ones from the pledge we received before…”
With the situation laid bare like this, the Debt Collectors had no way to deny it.
“Those bastards…!”
Before Hae Cheong Shen Ni could speak, the spectators reacted first.
“Those bastards deserve to die!”
“What are they doing at the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament Arena!”
“Scoundrels like that should be expelled from the martial arts world!”
They tried to flee hastily, but their escape route was already blocked by Hae Cheong Shen Ni.
And then….
“Please come with us for a moment.”
They were arrested by the Patrol Guard and dragged away somewhere.
Once the situation was settled, what remained was the contest between Sister Hyang-ok and Sujin-uk Warrior.
“Well then….”
Sister Hyang-ok looked at Sujin-uk Warrior.
“Shall I sever that hand of yours again?”
“I yield! I yield!”
He cried out his surrender urgently, and thus the match was decided in Sister Hyang-ok’s victory.
Sujin-uk Warrior was also taken away by the Patrol Guard somewhere.
Sister Hyang-ok descended from the arena, and we hurried toward her.
“Hyang-ok!”
“Ah, Grandmother!”
“Congratulations on today’s victory. You must have had quite the ordeal.”
“Not at all. When you live long enough, encountering scoundrels like that is hardly rare.”
I realized that this was not the first time my sister had trampled such villains beneath her feet.

That evening.
Mother invited the Ami Sect delegation to our inn once more to celebrate Sister Hyang-ok’s victory.
I went to the inn where Sister was staying, gathered them, and led them toward our lodgings.
It was then.
Someone passing by caught sight of us and spoke up.
“Oh? Who is that?”
“Isn’t that the female hero who defeated that shameless brute—the Tongue Sword Female Hero?”
“Oh! That’s right.”
The Tongue Sword Female Hero.
A title referring to a female hero whose tongue is as sharp as a sword.
Here I was, hearing that epithet again.
“The Tongue Sword Female Hero? Sister Hyang-ok? Is that perhaps a title referring to you?”
“It appears so.”
Ah, come to think of it, Sister had disliked that title.
She’d caused quite an incident trying to suppress it, and said it was exhausting to clean up afterward…
I quickly grabbed hold of her sleeve.
I quickly grabbed hold of her sleeve.
“Sister! You mustn’t cause trouble!”

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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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