The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 269

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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 269

Chapter 269. The Noble Heir (2)

The second day of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament’s main rounds.
The incident occurred during the first match.
The problem, if one could call it that, was that the competitors were disciples from the Huashan Sect and the Jongnam Sect—two groups notorious for their bitter rivalry.
From the very beginning, they had clashed with their pride on the line, unleashing their most devastating attacks.
As the blades of these two warriors collided, sword energy erupted outward.
In truth, a formation had been installed around the martial arts arena to prevent attacks from affecting the spectators.
But….
That formation had a blind spot.
When two equally matched streams of energy collided with not even a grain of sand’s difference between them, the resulting resonance slightly warped the formation itself.
Since such a situation had never occurred before, no one had known of this weakness.
As a result, the formation failed to activate properly, and the sword energy generated from the collision of the two warriors shot toward the spectators.
“Gasp!”
“Ugh!”
The spectators who realized what was happening simply froze.
It happened so suddenly that they couldn’t even scream.
Of course, since it wasn’t the sword energy of supremely skilled masters, the experts present could have easily blocked it.
But the suddenness of the event prevented them from responding in time.
Some of them, anticipating the catastrophe about to unfold before their eyes, squeezed their eyes shut.
That was when it happened.
A young nobleman leaped into the air.
From the blade of that youth in red clothing flowed a blue light, and the blue sword energy stretched out like a stream of water… or perhaps like a whip.
Sword silk.
That blue sword silk blocked each and every piece of sword energy that had been deflected toward the spectators.
The movement was, quite literally, beautiful.
And moving in concert with him was another warrior.
That warrior in white clothing moved as gracefully and smoothly as a butterfly dancing through the air, blocking the sword energy that the red-clothed young nobleman couldn’t handle.
The spectators marveled at such fluid and elegant movements.
Clang!
Clang clang!
When they had blocked all the sword energy directed at the spectators and returned to their positions, not a single eye in the arena remained fixed on the martial arts stage.
Even the two warriors who had been fiercely battling on the stage were now watching the two people who had prevented disaster.
“….”
Silence fell over the martial arts arena.

* * *

I sheathed my sword.
Seo-woo Warrior followed suit, returning his blade to its scabbard.
I felt the weight of countless gazes upon us, yet something far more pressing demanded my attention.
“Father, Mother. Are you both unharmed?”
“Eh? Y-yes….”
As my startled father nodded repeatedly, my mother gently patted his back and spoke.
“We are fine, my son.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
I turned to address the Gwangjun Merchant Lord and his lady, who sat beside my father.
“Are you and your lady wife also unharmed?”
They nodded in response to my inquiry.
At that moment, an elderly man seated in the upper seating area spoke, his eyes fixed upon me.
“Could it be… the Heavenly Frost Sword? A descendant of Geuk Cheon Sword?”
The spectators erupted into murmurs at his words. The name Geuk Cheon Sword carried considerable renown.
Yet few seemed genuinely interested in how his descendants lived, whether the lineage endured, or if it had withered away.
“Eun Small Merchant Leader! How do you wield the Heavenly Frost Sword?”
Dang Dae-jung gazed at me with astonishment. Meanwhile, Jegal Family’s Grand Elder wore an expression of peculiar intrigue.

To summarize: the remaining preliminary matches were postponed.
Continuing the tournament when countless lives had nearly been lost was simply untenable from every perspective.
And I found myself at the Murim Alliance headquarters—more precisely, in the Guest Reception Room.
The Murim Alliance Leader had summoned me personally.
Currently, only Seo-woo Warrior and I occupied the reception chamber. The Alliance Leader and the others were undoubtedly deliberating on how to address this crisis.
“I should have thanked you sooner. I’m grateful for your assistance back there.”
At my words, Seo-woo Warrior laughed sheepishly.
“I am my lord’s Guard Warrior. It is only natural that I draw my blade to protect you.”
“I appreciate your words nonetheless.”
“However….”
Seo-woo Warrior asked me cautiously.
“How did you know that incident would occur? I understand your martial prowess is formidable, but it seemed as though you were prepared for it….”
He had observed keenly.
I had known that this event would transpire during the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, so I had remained vigilant every moment.
Thanks to that vigilance, I was able to intercept it in time.
However, I could not simply tell Seo-woo Warrior the truth. Moreover, the Murim Alliance Leader would undoubtedly ask me the same question.
But I had prepared an explanation in advance, so I answered without hesitation.
“It is thanks to the martial techniques I have cultivated. They allow me to sense the qi fluctuations around me with great sensitivity. Thus, I was able to predict when the formation would be breached and the sword energy would erupt forth.”
“Hmm! So you even knew there was a formation in place?”
At that moment, the door opened and the Murim Alliance Leader entered. It seemed their deliberations had concluded.
Seo-woo Warrior and I quickly clasped our fists and bowed our heads.
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company, paying respects to the Murim Alliance Leader.”
“I am Seo-woo Warrior, guard to Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company, paying respects to the Murim Alliance Leader.”
“Raise your heads.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
We lifted our heads and looked upon the Murim Alliance Leader.
“Please, be seated. I apologize for the delay.”
“Not at all.”
“First, I must express my gratitude for preventing a great calamity from unfolding today. Had it not been for So Hyup, I cannot fathom what would have become of us. It was truly terrifying.”
“It was merely my duty. And my parents were present there as well. The fact that they survived because of my martial training is itself a blessing I am grateful for.”
“Regardless of So Hyup’s circumstances, I cannot express how deeply indebted I am to you.”
The Murim Alliance Leader continued.
“But how did you come to master the techniques of the Geuk Cheon Sword? As I understand it, the lineage was surely severed…”
“That is not the case.”
I paused as if deliberating, then spoke.
“Well, if I reveal this so publicly, my Master will surely disapprove, but it cannot be helped. In truth, my Master is a descendant of the Great Hero of the Geuk Cheon Sword. The lineage is believed to be severed, but my Master told me that he actually withdrew from the world after settling all matters.”
Of course, this was a lie I had coordinated with my Master beforehand.
“Is that so? What prompted such a choice?”
“It was the decision of that descendant, who found the name of the Great Hero of the Geuk Cheon Sword too burdensome to bear. Additionally, my Master’s family line has been sparse, passed down through sole heirs across generations.”
“Such circumstances existed. Then, what connection do you have with the descendant of the Geuk Cheon Sword that you were taught the Heavenly Stream Ice Sword?”
“That is… my Master operates a Pyo Bureau. And it has been a long-standing trading partner with our merchant company.”
“A descendant of the Geuk Cheon Sword operating a Pyo Bureau…”
Was it the bitter regret of not being able to proceed with the Pyo Bureau business we had so carefully prepared?
His expression darkened slightly.
It was a venture doomed to fail anyway, yet his ambitions ran deep.
But the displeasure was fleeting, and the Murim Alliance Leader soon smiled warmly again.
“So that is how the connection was formed?”
“That connection exists, but surely he would not have taught an outsider based on that alone. I once saved the life of my Master’s son. I discovered him gravely injured during a walk, on the brink of death, and managed to save him.”
“Ho! Such a fateful encounter!”
“Yes, and so my Master wished to repay that debt, while I asked to learn martial arts from him.”
A convincing lie requires mixing eight parts truth with two parts falsehood.
Had Palgap been present, he surely would have said, “You’re quite the storyteller.”
“So that is why you have been mastering the Heavenly Stream Ice Sword!”
“Indeed.”
“By the way, how old are you now?”
“In a few months, I will be twenty-one.”
“At that age, to have reached the pinnacle! You possess considerable talent!”
“I am grateful for your kind words.”
“No, I speak in earnest. I cannot express how fortunate it is that the Murim has individuals like yourself.”
From that statement alone, I could discern the outcome of their discussion.
They had decided to make both me and Seo-woo Warrior into heroes.
A catastrophe had nearly occurred. In my previous life, countless people had died and been injured in such incidents.
Fortunately, there were no casualties this time, but the spectators could still view the Murim Alliance unfavorably because of what happened.
A massive refund crisis could have erupted.
The accident had nearly happened in the Premium Seating area, the most expensive section. If a refund crisis broke out there, the Murim Alliance would face considerable headaches.
Because of this, I had heard that in my previous life, an enormous sum of money was spent to manage the aftermath.
That’s why finances were difficult for a while afterward.
In any case, the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament had to continue to prevent such incidents.
The best way to achieve this was to put young heroes front and center.
Moreover, the swordsmanship I had learned with the help of the Northern Sea Ice Palace Master was the blade technique of Geuk Cheon Sword Gwak Hoon, the Great Hero who became legendary in the battle against the Blood Sect two hundred years ago.

‘The successor of Geuk Cheon Sword appears and saves the people.’

Even I had to admit it was a fascinating narrative.
“So then, the Murim Alliance would like to offer you a reward.”
A reward, was it….
“Is there anything you desire?”
There were many things I desired.
On a modest scale, I wanted the Eun Hae Trading Company to establish itself in Luoyang, or on a grander scale… the head of Namgung Kang.
Suddenly, the current situation felt amusing to me.
In my previous life, I had lost my life because of the Murim Alliance and Namgung Kang….
Now I was a hero of the Murim Alliance!
I glanced down at my palms. They were the same hands that had been damp with sweat from nervousness just from arriving in Luoyang.
But now, even sitting here in the Murim Alliance’s Guest Reception Room, I felt no tension.
Only….
thoughts of how to make use of this opportunity.
I was stronger in actual combat than I had realized.
In any case, stating what I wanted directly here would be amateurish.
After all, I held the sword now.
“A reward? How could you speak of such things? That seems unnecessary.”
I smiled and continued.
“I am satisfied knowing that my actions saved my parents and countless others.”
I cupped my fist in salute and spoke.
“I am merely a merchant. And since attention has now focused on the Eun Hae Trading Company because of me, it seems I must close the Temporary Shop and return to Hubei.”
The League Master smacked his lips and tried to hold me back.
“I understand your sentiments, but couldn’t you stay in Luoyang a bit longer? At least Seo-woo Warrior….”
At those words, Seo-woo Warrior spoke firmly.
“I am my lord’s Guard Warrior. It is my duty to remain at my lord’s side.”
Whether he answered that way out of quick perception or genuine conviction, I couldn’t quite tell….
As a result, the Murim Alliance Leader appeared even more troubled.
“Hmm, then how about this? Since you say you’re a merchant, that’s good. Let us conduct a transaction.”
“….”
“If you remain in Luoyang until the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament concludes, I shall grant you priority rights in all future dealings with the Murim Alliance.”
At those words, my expression grew troubled.
“But doesn’t the Murim Alliance already have the Baekcheon Trading Company? How can you speak of priority rights? Even with priority rights, wouldn’t that still place us after the Baekcheon Trading Company?”
“That’s precisely why I say priority rights. The right to trade before the Baekcheon Trading Company… that is.”
This… was an unexpected windfall.
He must want to quietly bury this incident and see the tournament through without complications.
Priority rights in dealings with the Murim Alliance… certainly, that’s substantial.
But I still need to be cautious about my position.
“With respect, should you not consider your relationship with the Baekcheon Trading Company? And the Baekcheon Trading Company exists for the Murim Alliance’s revenue. Undermining them would be cutting into your own flesh. Therefore, I cannot accept such an offer.”
“Haha! You’re thinking of the Murim Alliance’s interests?”
“Without the Murim Alliance, the ruffians of the martial world would run rampant without restraint, would they not? And because of that, merchants like us can freely traverse the Realm. How could I not consider the Murim Alliance?”
“I’m truly grateful that you think of us that way.”
Ah… I really am shameless.
How much have we merchants lost because the Murim Alliance fails to properly suppress the ruffians….
And should I mention that the ruffians themselves include members of the Murim Alliance?
Moreover, the Murim Alliance is essentially the place that killed me in my previous life.
Their military forces attacked my party and me.
Yet here I am, speaking such words without hesitation—it seems I have quite the talent for acting.
After a moment of contemplation, the Murim Alliance Leader spoke.
“Then I shall grant you three instances of priority rights in dealings with the Murim Alliance. That should address your concerns.”
“Can this be confirmed in writing?”
“Of course.”
This level of benefit is manageable.
Though I wish he would offer something more subtle, something I could profit from quietly.
“And….”
Hmm?
At the Murim Alliance Leader’s next words, I doubted my own ears.
Wow… he must be far more desperate than I thought.

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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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