The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 306

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 306

Chapter 306. Unwavering Devotion (5)

We arrived at the mountain in no time.
It was the place where I had found the Blue Ice Snow Plum Chamber that restored my constitution after my return, and it was the Back Mountain of the Main Headquarters of the Eunhae Trading Company.
This place held a spiritual herb that aided bodily recovery.
Its name was the Restoration Grace Flower.
When one inhaled the fragrance of that blossom, the speed of recovery increased dramatically.
I had learned of this thanks to the Black Path gang members who had drifted into Chongyang County in the past.
When a severely injured Black Path leader among them discovered it during their gang fight, he used it to restore his body.
The problem was that their battle intensified as a result, and innocent civilians suffered damage.
The reason I hadn’t searched for it in advance despite knowing of it was that the blooming season was still far away.
According to my memory, it should have bloomed around early spring. The effect was best when it had just opened.
Since it wasn’t particularly important, I had buried the memory in the back of my mind, but Cho Young-young’s injury brought it back to me.
“Is it here?”
I nodded at Seo-woo Warrior’s question.
“It is.”
I moved while recalling the information I had obtained through the Hao Organization before.
From where those three pine trees gathered, approximately five hundred paces toward the bent pine.
And….
How far had we gone?
Since I used lightness of body technique, it didn’t actually take long. About a quarter hour.
Soon I smiled.
I could see the crimson flower blooming on the cliff.
That was the Restoration Grace Flower.
Though it bloomed in the middle of the cliff, we were all masters at the pinnacle of our cultivation.
Moreover, since it wasn’t an extremely treacherous cliff, we were able to obtain it easily.
Now that I think about it, the Black Path warrior who had experienced the efficacy of the Restoration Grace Flower in my previous life said he had obtained it when it happened to be uprooted and fell down the cliff.
In any case, this now belongs to me.
Strictly speaking, it belongs to Cho Young-young.

* * *

Yu So-ak remained at the Medical Hall even after the sun had set.
When I had just arrived at the Main Headquarters earlier, hearing that Cho Young-young had sustained a serious injury made everything go dark before my eyes.
I couldn’t think of anything.
When I came to my senses, I was standing in front of the Medical Hall.
But I couldn’t bring myself to enter.
‘Why did I do that?’
The reason was simple.
I was afraid to see Cho Young-young.
I sighed and gazed at her lying on the chamber bed, breathing heavily with difficulty.
Seeing her like this, my chest felt as though it were being torn apart. Honestly, this feeling is… the first time I’ve experienced it.
Until now, even when someone was suffering, I couldn’t truly empathize with them.
‘This feeling… it’s the first time since Mother passed away.’
I hated this.
I wanted to see her as she was before—chattering away while looking at me. And I wanted to see her cheeks flush red at my words as well…
I hesitated to reach out my hand.
I questioned whether it was right for me to hold her hand when I couldn’t even answer her heart’s desire.
It was a feeling of hesitation born from how precious she was—afraid even to touch her.
After repeatedly withdrawing and extending my hand, I finally grasped Cho Young-young’s hand carefully.
It was burning hot.
The fever from her injury was evident.
“Please… wake up.”
I murmured like a desperate prayer.
Her face was deathly pale, testament to the great loss of blood she had suffered.
Yet I wondered if it was right for her to be this hot.
That was when it happened.
Cho Young-young’s eyelids trembled slightly, and then her eyes opened. However, her gaze remained unfocused.
“You… Yu Inner Chief Manager?”
She spoke with a feeble smile.
“I’ve learned martial arts and I’m incredibly strong. So I’m not someone who would die easily…”
“…”
“I don’t meet any other man besides Yu Inner Chief Manager…”
Hearing those words, Yu So-ak bit his lip.
Cho Young-young knew about his past.
That’s why she was saying such things.
“When did you find out?”
“When I went to Beijing.”
I found myself asking without thinking.
“Did you pity me?”
“Yu Inner Chief Manager is strong. So why would I pity you?”
“…”
Strong? He said I’m strong?
“No, that’s not true. I’m not strong. I’m just a coward who runs away shamefully.”
“That’s not it. If it were anyone else, they would have gone mad long ago… But you’re still living your life. That’s why the Yu Inner Chief Manager is a strong person. So… I admire you very much. Hehe.”
It certainly seemed true that my mind was clouded at the moment. Otherwise, there was no way I could speak so freely about such things.
“What exactly about me is so appealing?”
“I just like you. Hehe.”
“….”
“Don’t be embarrassed asking such things.”
Yu So-ak unconsciously tightened his grip on Cho Young-young’s hand.
“Do you know how beautiful the spring flowers bloom on that Back Mountain in spring?”
“I do.”
“The plum blossoms planted on the Third Sub-unit Leader’s orders are truly magnificent. Let’s go see the plum blossoms together this spring.”
“Really? That sounds wonderful. Hehe. Can you promise me?”
“Of course. I promise. So… please recover and wake up.”
Thus Yu So-ak spoke to Cho Young-young of this and that.
In summer, they would walk by the pond side in the rain together, and in autumn, they would go to see the autumn leaves together.
He continued to speak, again and again.
A vague fear had seized him—the fear that if those eyes closed now, they might never open again.
That was when it happened.
Ssssshhhhh,
Smoke began to drift in from somewhere.
The smoke filled the chamber where Cho Young-young and Yu So-ak were.
Shortly after, they fell asleep.

* * *

I opened the door.
Cho Vice-Commander and Yu Inner Chief Manager were asleep.
As expected from something created by Manjol Physician, the sleep fragrance was quite effective.
I approached them and smiled as I looked at their tightly clasped hands.
I opened the box that Jin Yu Warrior had handed me and took out the Bok Hye-hwa from inside.
Then I held it beneath Cho Vice-Commander’s nose.
Cho Vice-Commander’s breathing began to stabilize, and her complexion improved.
Fortunately, we weren’t too late.
“If we had been even a moment later, Young-young would have been lost.”
Jin Yu Warrior, who had taken Cho Vice-Commander’s pulse, spoke thus. Jin Yu Warrior possessed considerable knowledge of medicine, likely due to his profession.
After all, to kill someone swiftly and certainly, one had to understand the human body intimately.
“Perhaps it was thanks to the Inner Chief Manager’s continued conversation with her?”
“I believe so as well.”
We exchanged smiles and quietly slipped away from the place as if nothing had happened.
.
.
.
I headed toward the Separate Pavilion.
More precisely, toward the Back Garden in the alley leading to the Separate Pavilion.
Given the size of the Eunhae Trading Company, there were back gardens scattered throughout.
Upon arriving at the back garden, I withdrew the Bok Hye-sil from my sleeve.
The Bok Hye-sil that had aided Cho Vice-Commander’s recovery had long since withered.
Though Bok Hye-sil could only be used once, I harbored no regret in using it for Cho Vice-Commander.
Had Cho Vice-Commander passed away, Yu Inner Chief Manager would have been devastated.
And all those who cherished Cho Vice-Commander, including Father, would have suffered profound heartache.
Above all, Cho Vice-Commander’s father, Cho Haeng-su…
In any case, it could have caused a rift in the Eunhae Trading Company. Even the smallest fissure would inevitably affect the company’s future ascension to becoming the Greatest Merchant Guild Under Heaven.
As long as I existed, I could not tolerate even the slightest crack forming in the Eunhae Trading Company.
I murmured while gazing at the Bok Hye-sil in my hand.
“But how am I supposed to dispose of this?”
Even withered as it was, if this caught someone’s eye, it would be quite problematic.
I had deliberately put Cho Vice-Commander and Yu Inner Chief Manager to sleep so they wouldn’t know it had been used.
It was then.
– Squeak? Squeak! Squeak!
The squeaking sound of Geumryeong echoed in my mind.
“What? You want this?”
At my question, Geumryeong popped out from my sleeve and nodded.
Its eyes gleamed, and saliva dripped from its mouth.
I crouched down and looked at Geumryeong.
“You’re going to eat this?”
“Chirp!”
Geumryeong nodded enthusiastically.
“Weren’t you originally only eating silver and gold pellets?”
At my question, Geumryeong tilted his head and shook it.
“Chirp? Chirp. Chirp chirp! Chirp!”
“So… you eat things like these spiritual herbs too? Ah… you eat anything expensive. But this one’s already exhausted its efficacy?”
“Chirp chirp! Chirp!”
“You can squeeze out every last drop from a spiritual herb that’s already spent its efficacy?”
So this creature pursued extreme efficiency.
In any case, if he could handle it, there was no reason for me not to give it to him.
“Go ahead, eat it.”
I handed it to Geumryeong, and he quickly took it in his mouth, munching away delightfully with satisfied chirps.
Then he disappeared back into my sleeve.
Watching him, I let out a soft chuckle and turned my body.
Then I bowed respectfully to Seo-woo Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior.
“Thank you for not asking about anything.”
Honestly, I had been slightly troubled about how to answer if they had asked about today’s events.
But the two warriors asked nothing, and I was deeply grateful for that.
“It is our lord’s business. We simply follow.”
“We will continue to protect our lord. So please do not worry.”
I nodded at their words.
Especially in Seo-woo Warrior’s eyes, who had regained his life because of Bok Si-ryeong, I felt a deep trust.
“Then let us depart.”
“Shall we go to the Separate Pavilion?”
“No. We must go to Hyun Pung Country. There is much work piling up.”
Jin Yu Warrior spoke as he watched my back.
“Do not grieve, my lord.”
My voice must have sounded quite sorrowful.
“Who was on escort duty this time?”
“Myself and Chang-un Warrior.”
“Let us persevere together.”

* * *

Yu So-ak jolted awake suddenly.
“What—what is this!”
He was flustered.
He had resolved to watch over Cho Young-young through the night, yet here he was, having fallen asleep like this.
‘What a worthless fool I am!’
He reproached himself and quickly checked on Cho Young-young, terrified that she might have already stopped breathing during the night.
But….
She lay sleeping with a noticeably improved complexion compared to yesterday.
Her breathing was steady, which told him her condition had taken a turn for the better.
He exhaled a sigh of relief.
Now that she was stable, I should rise and….
But I couldn’t get up from the bed.
Cho Young-young was gripping my hand tightly and wouldn’t let go.
The Physician and Medical Attendants would be arriving soon for their rounds.
Staying like this felt awkward, yet pulling my hand away risked waking Cho Vice-Commander from her sleep—I was in a difficult position.
“Did you sleep well?”
Just then, the door opened and the Medical Hall Master entered, accompanied by a Medical Attendant.
“Ah, well, I’m afraid I’ve shown you an unseemly sight.”
“Not at all.”
The Master chuckled warmly as he spoke.
“It was quite a pleasant sight last night. Hehehehe.”
In other words, the Master had already witnessed the two of us sleeping with our hands tightly clasped the night before.
At this, Yu So-ak turned his head away sheepishly.
“In any case, it seems we can finally breathe easier now. She has passed the critical point. This is all thanks to the Yu Inner Chief Manager’s devoted care.”
“….”
.
.
.
Yu So-ak left the Medical Hall after entrusting her care to the Medical Hall Master.
Though mountains of work awaited him, he harbored no regret about holding Cho Young-young’s hand through the night.
He gazed at his own hand.
It seemed her warmth still lingered there.
‘But….’
The fact that he had suddenly fallen asleep last night struck him as peculiar, no matter how much he pondered it.
Staying awake through the night was supposed to be his specialty.
‘And… I could have sworn I heard the Third Sub-unit Leader’s voice at some point.’

* * *

Four days had passed since I restored Cho Vice-Commander to health in the Blue Ice Snow Plum Chamber.
And now, rumors of a miracle were spreading throughout the Eunhae Trading Company.
A miracle born from the hearts of Yu Inner Chief Manager and Cho Vice-Commander, they said.
Honestly, that burden weighed far less heavily on me.
And as such stories accumulated, the bonds between the members of the Eunhae Trading Company only grew stronger.
I headed toward the Inner Chief Manager’s office with documents in hand.
But strangely, he wasn’t at his desk.
Seok Il-song explained the situation to me.
“He’s at the Medical Hall right now.”
“Ah….”
Since the documents were urgent, I immediately made my way to the Medical Hall. Where he was, I could easily guess.

“I distinctly heard you say it. That we’d go flower viewing together in spring… and walk by the pond in summer.”
“Ahem, ahem. Well, yes.”
“You made a promise. You’re not going back on your word, are you?”
“No, of course not.”
“If you had said otherwise, I would have been very sad.”
“….”

They were absolutely sweet together, dripping with honey.
I quietly listened to their exchange and smiled to myself.
In my previous life, Cho Vice-Commander’s unwavering devotion had gone unrewarded, but in this life, it was finally being repaid.
Still…
What should I do about those rebels who had nearly killed Cho Vice-Commander?
We were currently discussing this from multiple angles with the Changin Escort Agency.
This afternoon, the Lord of the Changin Escort Agency was said to be coming to the headquarters for further discussion.
Honestly, I understood their position.
They had done it to survive.
But that doesn’t mean they should cause harm to others, does it?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————