The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 293

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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 293

Chapter 293. The Poem Thief (6)

I watched Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster disappear into the distance.
The fact that Chu Il-gong had hired an assassin was not particularly surprising. I had already considered the possibility that once Chu Il-gong learned Song Nok Poet was participating in the competition, he might attempt to harm him.
Thus, at present, Song Nok Poet and his family were staying here in our Temporary Residence.
The Eun Pung-dae Warriors were also stationed here, so protection would be more than adequate.
Song Nok Poet’s Wife spent the entire day doing piecework sewing, and watching her, I thought that once this affair was concluded, I would need to work Song Nok Poet much harder.
What truly surprised me was something else entirely.
There were assassins operating near the Imperial Palace itself.
Though, no matter how many Golden Army, Geumui Guard, or Dongchang agents there were, it was impossible to control everyone.
If that were the case, then perhaps I could take this opportunity….
“Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster!”
I called out to Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster and ran after him.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Let us undertake a task together.”
.
.
.
That night.
I was walking through the Marketplace Street with Song Nok Poet.
“You must have worked hard today.”
“Not at all.”
“So, how did you feel? The people were praising the poems you composed.”
At my words, Song Nok Poet scratched the back of his neck.
“It… felt wonderful.”
His face flushed.
“I never knew that receiving recognition from people could feel this good. In a way, I even began to understand why he did such a thing.”
“That is not so.”
“Pardon?”
“Stealing another’s poems is a clear crime. To sympathize with a criminal! Are you not being too kind-hearted?”
“Ah, well, is that so?”
“So, do you still wish to die?”
At my question, he flinched and turned his head away.
“That… back then, I was foolish.”
Seeing him readily admit his fault, I let out a soft laugh.
I had brought Song Nok Poet out to the Marketplace for several reasons, but first and foremost, it was to lure out the assassin.
Chu Il-gong would want to assassinate Song Nok Poet as soon as possible.
And right now, Song Nok Poet had no idea he had become the target of a contract killing.
I had brought him out under the pretense of preparing fine writing materials for the upcoming competition.
“This inkstone seems adequate enough, don’t you think?”
“I’m grateful for whatever you provide.”
“A brush made from weasel hair would be ideal, I believe.”
We purchased an inkstone, brush, and other writing materials at the Sebin Merchant Guild shop, then moved to my Temporary Residence.
– Be careful. He’s approaching.
I heard Jin Yu Warrior’s telepathic message.
He’s finally come.
As I walked with my energy heightened, I felt the killing intent wash over us.
And then,
Whoosh!
A single throwing blade flew toward Song Nok Poet.
If there had been no one around, I would have rushed to intercept it directly, but with several people nearby including myself, the assassin had thrown it as a test.
The blade flew with perfect accuracy toward Song Nok Poet’s throat.
Clang!
But the blade was blocked by a shield—one held by the Geumui Guard Great Hero who had been following me as my escort.
The small black shield was designed to mount on the arm, and with a simple mechanism, it transformed into a full shield in an instant.
And that shield was also the symbol of the Geumui Guard.
It was sometimes used when revealing one’s identity as a Geumui Guard, and I had deliberately shown it now.
“Thanks to Chu Il-gong Poet’s cooperation, we’ll be able to eliminate the assassins in Beijing!”
I shouted intentionally loud.
“Assassins! Chase them down!”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster led the other Geumui Guard Great Heroes in pursuit.
The Geumui Guard Great Heroes would intentionally let that assassin escape.
That assassin would become a crucial thread leading to the complete elimination of Beijing’s assassins.
And at this distance, that assassin would have heard what I said.
That Chu Il-gong Poet had cooperated.
The fact that he remained in Beijing meant he took pride in his craft, and it also meant his pride ran deep.
Would such a man sit idle after suffering such a loss? He would definitely seek out Chu Il-gong.
I knew how such men operated. They didn’t simply draw their blades and shout “Die!” without warning.
They bled their targets slowly to death.
Vicious. Absolutely vicious.
It didn’t matter to me that the target was Chu Il-gong.
He would bleed day by day, but that was his own doing.
Still, I had no intention of letting him die. If he died, he couldn’t pay for his sins.
I looked down at Song Nok, who lay sprawled on the ground.
“Are you alright?”
“Wh-wh-what was that just now?”
“Ah, you mean this?”
I held up the hidden blade that had bounced off the shield earlier, answering in a dry voice.
“This is proof that an assassin came and went just now, attempting to kill Song Nok Poet.”
“Ah, ah, assassination, me, you mean me?”
“Yes.”
“Why me? I haven’t even made any enemies….”
Seeing how startled he was, stammering like that, I explained.
“I just learned this myself. Apparently, someone named Chu Il-gong commissioned the assassination of Song Nok Poet.”
“What?”
He tilted his head in confusion.
“But didn’t the Small Guild Master just say it was with Chu Il-gong Poet’s cooperation?”
“You mean that?”
I chuckled softly and leaned in to whisper.
“It was a lie.”
“What?”
“A deception, to confuse the assassins. This way, they’ll realize it’s a trap and won’t attempt to target Song Nok Poet again.”
“Ah….”
I extended my hand to him.
“Please, get up. The ground is damp.”
“Ah, yes….”
He rose to his feet, and I brushed the dirt from his clothes.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes.”
He said he was fine, but his face remained pale.
He must have been truly terrified.
For an ordinary person, this was a perfectly normal reaction.
“Take several deep breaths, and you should feel calmer.”
Following my words, Song Nok Poet took several deep breaths.
Once the shock had subsided somewhat, he asked me.
“So, Chu Il-gong commissioned an assassination against me?”
“Yes.”
I continued.
“You saw it today, didn’t you? To those unfamiliar with the details, your poem sounded like Chu Il-gong’s poem. So before the truth came out and he faced humiliation, he tried to kill you and….”
“He was trying to steal the poem again.”
A dangerous glint began to kindle in his eyes as he regained his composure.
Bringing Song Nok Poet here and exposing him to the assassins served this purpose as well.
Even after this affair concluded, it would have been awkward to properly control Song Nok Poet.
He simply lacked that vicious edge.
In other words, it meant he was too kind-hearted, and kind-hearted people were perfect for causing trouble to their own families.
And this incident was also Song Nok Poet’s personal moment of vengeance.
Having suffered such treatment, one would naturally harbor resentment, yet he remained unfailingly kind.
His attempt at self-sacrifice alone revealed the depths of his character.
Honestly, it’s a temperament I despise. Why contemplate suicide? In that time spent deliberating, one should be sharpening their blade for vengeance.
In any case, such a disposition makes proper revenge difficult.
There was a considerable chance we would face each other in the final competition, and if his momentum overwhelmed me then, I would be unable to display my true abilities.
So I asked him coldly.
“So then, what of it? Do you still wish to die?”
Just moments before, he had flinched and spoken of his own foolishness.
But now, having cultivated that poison within his heart, even his voice had transformed.
“Not until I’ve buried that bastard socially will I ever consider death.”
A satisfying answer.

* * *

The second day of the Imperial Poetry Competition dawned.
When Chu Il-gong arrived at the competition venue, his old friends rushed to encourage him.
“I do hope your name rises even higher today! Ha ha ha!”
“Your victory is already assured, like picking fruit from a tree!”
“We’re rooting for you.”
Yet his friends noticed something amiss about Chu Il-gong today.
“But what’s wrong?”
“Hmm?”
“You seem anxious for some reason.”
At those words, Chu Il-gong laughed awkwardly and replied.
“A-anxious? Nothing of the sort. Ha ha ha.”
Yet cold sweat beaded upon his back and forehead.
This morning.
Upon waking, he found a dagger embedded in the pillow beside his head.
And pierced through the blade was a slip of paper bearing the words: [The price of deceiving me is death].
He could not fathom what this meant.
‘Could someone have hired an assassin against me? Damn it all!’
He pondered who might have commissioned his death, but having deceived so many, he could not narrow it down.

The competition had begun.
Group after group took the stage to display their talents, and two out of every four were eliminated.
Then it happened.
“This round’s themes are a mirror and flowers.”
After the themes were announced and a moment had passed, the Readers began reciting the poems aloud.
“The mirror you left behind….”
The instant Chu Il-gong heard that poem, his eyes widened in shock.
He recognized it immediately—it was Song Nok’s poem, the very poet he had hired assassins to kill.
‘He’s alive? Damn it! Those incompetent fixers!’
As the audience heard Song Nok’s poem, they gasped in admiration.
“Oh! It’s truly Mi Si-gaek!”
“Such exquisite verse!”
“The beauty of poetry seems to have deepened even further today.”
And then….
From the waiting area for participants, the poets were staring at me.
Their eyes held questions.
The poem being recited was clearly one of Mi Si-gaek Chu Il-gong’s works, so why was Chu Il-gong himself sitting here? Then whose poem was this?
That was what they were asking.
That was what their gazes demanded to know.
Yesterday, by coincidence, both Song Nok and Chu Il-gong had ascended the stage simultaneously, so the other poets hadn’t noticed the discrepancy. But today, circumstances were different, and so suspicion began to bloom among them.
Unable to help himself, Chu Il-gong offered an explanation.
“I’m not sure who it is, but it seems someone admires me greatly.”
“….”
Yet their suspicions were not assuaged. Instead, the doubt continued to swell and grow.

* * *

Thus, the second day of the Poetry Competition came to an end.
Naturally, Song Rok continued his winning streak, and Chu Il-gong survived that day as well.
According to Song Rok’s account, all the poems Chu Il-gong had submitted were ones he himself had composed.
“Some of them had merely the topic slightly altered.”
Regardless, people were beginning to question how poems similar to—or even superior than—those of Chu Il-gong could be written by someone else, despite Chu Il-gong never having stepped onto the Ceremonial Platform where the competition took place.
Everything was proceeding according to my plan.
And by tonight, the rumors would spread widely throughout the marketplaces of Beijing.
By the way, when I saw Chu Il-gong’s face today, he looked somewhat anxious—it seemed assassins had paid him a visit last night.
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster was moving about busily to completely eliminate that group of assassins.
I heard in passing that he was deploying what they call the Heaven-Spanning Net.
A Heaven-Spanning Net derived from the Imperial Palace’s martial techniques and pursuit methods… I must admit, I’m rather curious about it.
“Young Master.”
At that moment, Palgap entered with a somewhat flustered expression.
“What is it?”
“Those five warriors, sir. It appears they have deserted.”
….
I was momentarily at a loss for words, but I quickly regained my composure.
“Explain in detail.”
“They had lunch together, but from around the Hour of the Sheep onward, they were nowhere to be seen.”
“Haha.”
I laughed.
“Wow! Quite remarkable warriors indeed. I hadn’t anticipated desertion.”
“Eh, surely not, Young Master. It seems you must have anticipated this as well.”
“Well, it’s not as though I hadn’t considered the possibility. But I thought the likelihood was extremely low.”
I asked Palgap a question.
“So they packed their belongings?”
At my question, Palgap nodded. That would explain why he called it desertion.
I rose from my seat.
“Let’s go to the Warriors’ Quarters.”
“Yes, sir.”

Shortly after, we arrived at the Warriors’ Quarters. Standing at the entrance was the Eun Branch Manager, his expression flustered and anxious.
“I apologize. I should have kept better watch over them….”
“It’s fine. How could anyone prevent warriors from deserting if they’ve made up their minds?”
“I’m truly sorry.”
“It’s fine. Now go back to your duties.”
Then I turned to the warrior before me.
“Which quarters did those deserters use?”
“Ah! This way!”
I followed where the warrior led me. I asked everyone else to step outside for a moment.
“Geumryeong.”
“Squeak?”
“Come out with me.”
At my words, Geumryeong emerged from my sleeve and poked its head out.
“Can you find the owner of these beddings?”
“Squeak? Squeak?”
“You want silver coins first? If I don’t give you silver, you won’t work… Fine, fine. I’ll give you silver. I said I would.”
“Squeak.”
“You want the silver first? Sigh….”
Since when did I start giving silver coins upfront?
I shook my head and pulled out a silver coin, which Geumryeong eagerly snatched up and swallowed.
It then emerged from my sleeve and rolled around on the bedding before suddenly springing to its feet.
Then it shot through the window like an arrow.
When I had counted to roughly one hundred and fifty, Geumryeong returned.
“Seo-woo Warrior, Jin Yu Warrior. Let’s go capture them.”
“Yes.”
“We obey your command.”
I left the rest to Palgap and the other warriors, then leaped into motion following Geumryeong.
How far did we go?
After running for about an hour using lightness technique, I sensed a familiar presence.
Soon, five warriors came into view, each carrying a bundle on their backs.
They hurried along using lightness technique, anxious about pursuit.
I already had a headache from Chu Il-gong, and now these warriors too? Why must they do this?
Yes, everyone has their plans.
Until they take a beating, that is.
I gave them an opportunity—they should be grateful for it.
Still, I’ll give them another chance.
Since it’s their second opportunity, they should accept a beating without complaint.

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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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