The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 276

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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 276

Chapter 276. What I’ve Gained (4)

Looking out from the inn, the rain was pouring down in torrents, exactly as I had anticipated.
Yun Haengsu gazed at me with admiration.
“How did you know the rain would fall so heavily?”
Since I couldn’t tell him the truth, I offered a vague explanation.
“I read about it in a book once. Signs that precede heavy rainfall, that sort of thing.”
“Well, it’s fortunate we withdrew early as you advised. Otherwise… goodness! Just thinking about it makes me dizzy.”
He shook his head vigorously, his expression suggesting he had aged a decade in mere moments.
At that moment, the Merchant Guild Leader staying at the same inn as us chimed in with a smile.
“I’m grateful too. We survived thanks to your counsel. We nearly suffered substantial losses.”
Jin Yun, the Merchant Lord of Jinseong Merchant Guild from Guangxi Province.
The “Jinseong” in the guild’s name comes from his great-great-grandfather’s name, the founder of the company.
The guild ranked eighty-ninth in this year’s merchant rankings, specializing primarily in candy.
Candy, like fish bone powder and lime dust, is equally vulnerable to moisture.
That’s why he was relieved and grateful to have accepted our advice.
In truth, candy sells just as well as fish bone powder and lime dust.
As one’s inner strength accumulates, movement requires less effort, but martial arts still demand considerable physical exertion.
When muscles are continuously used, one instinctively craves sweets, and especially during martial tournaments where full power must be exerted, sugary foods are particularly popular.
“Still, I wonder when this rain will stop.”
Everyone nodded at Father’s words.
I spoke carefully.
“From what I can tell, it should clear by tomorrow morning.”
In truth, the rain won’t last long. The problem is that so much fell in such a short time.
The drainage couldn’t keep up, and water had risen to ankle height.
This inn nearly flooded as well, but the Inn Keepers, having heeded my advice, quickly found wooden planks and installed barriers at the doors, preventing any water damage.
The food now before us is what the Inn Owner provided as a token of gratitude.
He didn’t need to do that.
Still, since the food was offered, I ate it gratefully.
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The next morning.
The rain had stopped, and people were repairing things damaged by the torrential downpour of the previous night.
However, since we at the Eunhae Trading Company and a few other guilds had already withdrawn our temporary shops the previous evening, we only needed to set up our tents again, making the work far easier.
At that moment, a Subordinate from another merchant guild approached us and spoke.
“We’ve decided to withdraw for now.”
“Already, sir?”
He offered a bitter smile at my words.
“The rain last night damaged the tea leaves, you see.”
“….”
“I should have listened to you yesterday. I apologize for not trusting your words.”
“Then you won’t be watching the tournament?”
“No, I must. Today is the finals, after all.”
With that, he excused himself and returned to his shop, which was in the process of being dismantled.
Those around me who had heeded my warning and avoided losses cast grateful glances my way once more.
It was then that Palgap returned.
He had gone to observe the situation of the surrounding merchant groups.
“Young Master, I’m back.”
“Good. How does it look?”
“Half the merchants are withdrawing, and some are trying to sell whatever salvageable goods they have… that sort of thing.”
“I see.”
“But there’s something, sir.”
“…?”
Palgap continued with an expression of disbelief.
“The Baekcheon Trading Company is selling bone ash and lime powder, but the prices have risen considerably.”
“They must have salvaged quite a bit. But how much are they selling it for if the price has gone up?”
“Fifteen times the original price, sir.”
“What? Fifteen times?”
Those around me reacted to my words, laughing in disbelief.
I couldn’t help but laugh as well.
Fifteen times? Have they lost their minds?
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Though delayed by repairs from the torrential downpour, the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament proceeded as scheduled.
We made our way to the Martial Arts Arena, where the Merchant Lord of the Gwangjun Trading Company thanked us.
“Your advance notice proved invaluable to us. Thanks to you, our goods were spared from damage.”
“Merchant groups must help one another to survive. Haha.”
“You saved my son’s life before, and now you’ve saved both my wife and me from ruin, sparing us further losses. I don’t know how to repay such kindness.”
“Kindness? You’re too kind to say such things.”
Watching Father converse with the Gwangjun Merchant Lord, I smiled warmly.
As the number of merchant groups favorable to the Eunhae Trading Company grew, so too would our standing and security.
I had orchestrated this matter because the Merchant Lord Namgung Sang must currently tread carefully, mindful of those above him.
Moreover, I am now revered as a hero from the previous incident. In such circumstances, how could anyone dare touch me or the Eunhae Trading Company?
That is why I proceeded with this matter, knowing full well it would invite resentment.
At that moment, the Tournament Announcer took the stage.
“Today! Finally today! A new young hero of the Murim is born. Allow me to introduce the eight Noble Heirs who have risen through fierce competition!”
Among those who ascended the Martial Arts Arena was Jegal Yu-ah. She caught my eye and waved her hand.
The crowd cheered even louder at this, but I smiled and nodded, knowing exactly why she had waved.
As they descended from the Martial Arts Arena, they drew their matchup brackets.
Drawing brackets each round ends after this fifth match. From here on, there will be no byes, so the numbers drawn today will determine the pairings.
Once the fifth match concludes, only four will remain, so it’s practically meaningless anyway.
“The first match is….”
And so the matches began.
Since only skilled fighters remained, the matches took longer than expected.
Most were nail-biting contests that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, and there were several cases where fighters bore wounds across their entire bodies yet refused to surrender until the referee finally stopped the match.
After lunch, the matches resumed, and the fifth round concluded.
Immediately after, the sixth round began.
A match where only two of the four would advance.
Jegal Yu-ah’s opponent in the sixth round proved stronger than anticipated, forcing her to fight hard.
Yet through calm, methodical technique, she finally seized victory. She won by the narrowest of margins, knocking her opponent out of bounds.
“The victor is Jegal Yu-ah!”
“Waaahhhhh!”
“The Jegal Family’s history is being rewritten today.”
“Indeed it is.”
The Jegal Family is known as the “Divine Strategy Jegal.”
That phrase means they possess keen intellect, but it can also be interpreted to mean their martial prowess is weak.
And until now, no member of the Jegal Family had ever advanced past the third round of the main tournament.
But this time, an upset occurred.
A member of the Jegal Family had reached the final championship match.
Looking over at them, the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder was beside himself with joy.
The birth of a talent combining both strategy and martial prowess.
The fervor of the tournament grew ever hotter.
Since the spectators were too excited and the two victorious fighters needed rest, a half-hour break was granted.
“Would you not visit Miss Jegal?” Lee Pil Warrior asked.
I shook my head at his question.
“If I go, it would only be a distraction.”
“But she is hardly a stranger….”
“If I were merely the Small Guild Master of a trading company, I would naturally go to cheer her on. But I have become a hero of everyone’s attention because of what happened last time, have I not?”
“Ah!”
Lee Pil Warrior nodded in understanding.
“I see. I understand.”
Someone of Jegal Yu-ah’s caliber would surely understand such circumstances and would not feel slighted.

And so the rest period passed, and finally came the grand finals.
Though the fervor had cooled somewhat from before, the crowd still cheered enthusiastically for both competitors.
Those who faced each other in the grand finals were Jegal Yu-ah and So Hyup of the Hebei Peng Clan.
Boom!
The drum sounded, and the martial match between the two warriors began.
They circled slowly across the arena, searching for openings in each other’s defenses.
I had to admit, watching So Hyup filled me with genuine admiration.
Typically, when facing a young woman, most would openly mock or belittle her.
Even if not openly, such disdain would inevitably seep through.
But So Hyup was different—his gaze had been cautious from the start. As I suspected, he had clearly undergone countless real battles.
There is a saying among the Murim masters.
In the Murim, beware of children, women, and the elderly.
That saying means those who appear weak may actually be formidable masters.
In an instant, the blades and swords of the two warriors clashed.
Clang!
The ensuing match was utterly riveting—a deadlocked contest where not a single move ahead could be predicted.
With each exchange lasting more than a moment, both warriors grew exhausted at an accelerating pace.
The longer a match dragged on, the more mental fortitude determined victory.
But what if their mental strength was equally matched?
Then the one with greater real combat experience held the advantage. Mistakes were inevitable in fighting, and in actual combat, how one recovered from those mistakes was what mattered.
Just like now.
Jegal Yu-ah’s foot slipped slightly. The trees had absorbed last night’s rain, and their sap had left certain areas slick.
So Hyup did not miss this opening.
In a flash, he hooked his leg behind hers, robbing her of balance, and Jegal Yu-ah tumbled backward.
And his blade came to rest at her throat.
Jegal Yu-ah exhaled and spoke.
“I yield.”
Thus the final victor was determined.
“Roaaaaar!”
But wait—just now, did So Hyup place his foot near Jegal Yu-ah’s head as she fell?
It could only have been to protect her head.
He extended his hand to help Jegal Yu-ah to her feet.
A man of considerable thoughtfulness and proper courtesy, it seemed.
The Tournament Announcer came forward and proclaimed the final victor.
“The ultimate champion of the Thirty-Sixth Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament is Peng Kang-un!”
“Roaaaaar!”
“The runner-up is Jegal Yu-ah!”
“Well fought!”
“Magnificent!”
The spectators showered Jegal Yu-ah, the runner-up, with unstinting acclaim.
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.
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The next morning, the festival began at dawn.
The champion and runner-up of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament rode through the streets surrounding the Murim Alliance in open carriages.
Dressed in magnificent robes and waving to the crowds from their carriages, they drew another round of thunderous cheers.
That afternoon, a grand banquet was held at the Murim Alliance.
Those who had opened temporary shops were granted the privilege of attending the banquet.
This was one of the primary reasons why merchant guilds invested such substantial sums to establish temporary shops.
By attending the banquet, they could easily approach those who had distinguished themselves throughout the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.
Fifty-four victors from the preliminary rounds of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament were eligible to attend the banquet, though from my perspective, it seemed the organizers had granted attendance only to those who had already demonstrated the caliber worthy of being called a Noble Heir.
I approached Sister Hyang-ok first.
“Sister, you must be exhausted.”
“You worked hard too.”
“Will you be leaving tomorrow?”
Sister nodded at my question.
“Yes! I’m going to train intensely! Ugh! I’m still frustrated!”
It was clear her frustration over the narrow loss hadn’t yet subsided.
I quickly excused myself and withdrew.
Regardless of the reason, dealing with an angry sister was genuinely exhausting.
Meanwhile, Father had offered congratulations to Peng Kang-un and Jegal Yu-ah, discussing matters of support with them.
Of course, with so many people lined up, there was no opportunity for an in-depth conversation.
So we agreed to visit later and took our leave.
“Have you greeted the people from the Jegal Family and the Sichuan Tang Family?”
“There were too many people earlier, so I couldn’t approach them. Now I should go pay my respects.”
The night deepened as we moved about.
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The next morning, we busily packed our belongings.
It was time to return to the Main Headquarters.
Especially since Father and Mother had been away from the Main Headquarters for so long, we could delay no further.
Still, Mother’s expression was remarkably bright, perhaps because she had finally witnessed the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament she had wanted to see.
“We are deeply grateful for your hospitality.”
“Not at all! Please visit us again!”
After exchanging final farewells with the Inn Keeper and the shop attendants, we departed for the Main Headquarters in Hubei Province.
There were matters to attend to in Beijing as well, but I needed to show my face to the family members I hadn’t seen in so long.
And,
Myeong-jong Warrior and Chang-un Warrior, whom I had newly recruited, needed to undergo training with the Eunpung Corps before officially serving as my guards.
Just as it had been before, this journey to Luoyang had yielded far more than I had anticipated.
First, there are two promising first-rate warriors: Myeong-jong Warrior and Chang-un Warrior.
And the title of Hero, along with everything the League Master promised as the price for accepting that title.
The trust in the Eunhae Trading Company that we gained because the Baekcheon Trading Company made such a foolish blunder, and so on.
Ah, just thinking about it makes me feel satisfied.
As I pondered these things and glanced to my side, I saw Palgap reading a book.
“What book is that?”
“Ah, this one, sir?”
The title read [The 36th Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament’s Rising Heroes].
“It’s a fresh new publication, sir. And your name is in here too, along with Seo-woo Warrior’s.”
….
Damn, I hadn’t thought of that.

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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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