The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 313

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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 313

Chapter 313. The Emperor’s Errand (4)

Our destination was Gansu Province.
While passing through Shanxi and crossing Ningxia would be the shortest route, the terrain there was treacherously difficult.
To go that way, we would have to cross not only Mount Tai near Beijing, but also Mount Heng to the north of Shanxi and Wutaishan, among others.
So the path we chose was to head south through southern Hebei, board a boat in Kaifeng, travel upstream along the Yellow River, and reach Lanzhou in Gansu Province.
Moreover, since we were initially heading south, we could make those pursuing us believe we were truly heading to Guangdong Province.
And unless we used lightness martial arts to sprint at full speed, traveling by boat was faster and more comfortable than riding horses overland.
Even if that meant going upstream against the river.
Since there were those pursuing us, moving quickly was the priority to shake them off.
Additionally, the fact that civil unrest was beginning to break out in various places was another reason to avoid the overland route.
About three or four days after leaving Beijing, we were drawing close to Kaifeng.
Since Kaifeng had been the capital of an ancient empire, it held many historical sites and was correspondingly prosperous.
With the river running through it, it was also a place where large marketplaces thrived.
Upon arriving in Kaifeng, we decided to inquire about boat passage immediately.
While there were ways to find boats by legwork, the most convenient method was to ask at the inns near the ferry terminal.
The inns near the ferry terminal professionally arranged boat passage as part of their services.
We headed toward the largest and most elegant inn among them. Even while being pursued, it seemed a shame to give up comfortable lodging and warm meals.
And what pursuer would think we would stay so brazenly at a premium inn like this?
Besides, thanks to our secret departure at night, we had some distance between ourselves and our pursuers.
“Welcome.”
As we entered the inn, the Shop Attendant greeted us.
“We’ll take care of your horses for you.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
He gave us a token to distinguish our horses. We would use that token to find our horses later.
We went inside and approached the Shop Attendant who handled guest rooms.
This time, rather than leaving it to Palgap and Seo-woo Warrior, I dealt with the Shop Attendant directly.
“We’d like to stay for several days.”
“Ah, are you perhaps looking for a boat?”
“Yes.”
I spoke vaguely about how many days we’d stay because we didn’t know when the boat would depart.
“I understand. First, what kind of room would you prefer?”
“Do you happen to have a room where all eight of us can stay together?”
“We do have a large guest room that can accommodate about ten people, but as you know, such rooms are either the highest grade or the lowest grade.”
The Shop Attendant continued with a smile.
“Of course, you would want the highest grade. It’s three silver taels per night.”
The accommodation fee was quite expensive for a lodging house, but for the finest suite of such a high-class inn, it was only natural.
“We’ll take that room. And please, could you inquire about boats heading to Lanzhou in Gansu Province?”
“Understood. The room fee is payable in advance. If you wish to stay tomorrow as well, please inform us before lunch and pay the room fee in advance.”
I settled the room fee immediately.
The Shop Attendant, summoned by my call, guided us, and we made our way to the guest room on the highest floor of the inn.
“Here it is. The largest and finest room in our inn.”
Being a premium guest room that could accommodate up to ten people, everything about it was of the highest quality.
There was a common area in the center, with four rooms on either side.
“Wow! This is incredible!”
Palgap’s amazement was warranted by the lavishness of the space, and Myeong-jong Warrior and Chang-un Warrior, perhaps seeing such a room for the first time, gazed around with wide, astonished eyes.
I chuckled softly and handed the Shop Attendant a silver coin.
“Please take good care of us during our stay here.”
“Of course. If you need anything, simply pull the bell cord here at any time. Please rest comfortably.”
The Shop Attendant bowed respectfully and departed, and I spoke to my companions.
“Rest easy today. Things will become rather busy starting tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Since there were four rooms, Palgap and I took one, and the remaining six warriors divided the other three among themselves.
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The next morning,
when I descended to the first floor for breakfast, the Shop Attendant approached me.
“Guest, you asked me to inquire about boats heading to Gansu Province, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“There is a boat departing early tomorrow morning bound for Lanzhou in Gansu Province.”
He then presented us with documents detailing the boat’s overall design, the captain’s credentials, the number of crew members, passenger capacity, and more.
It was a vessel that could carry fifty passengers, excluding the captain and crew.
Considering the provisions and baggage needed for the journey to Lanzhou, it was quite a substantial boat.
In any case, the timing was perfect.
“Excellent. We’ll take this boat.”
“How many passengers will be boarding?”
“Eight people. And we also have eight horses.”
“I’ll make the arrangements accordingly.”
After discussing a few matters regarding the boat with the Shop Attendant, we began our breakfast.
Since we were departing tomorrow morning, we needed to hurry.
There wasn’t much to prepare, but there were things to attend to.
After breakfast, we ventured into the Kaifeng Bustling District.
The Kaifeng Bustling District was quite impressive in its own right.
“The atmosphere seems somewhat similar to Hangzhou,” Palgap remarked.
I nodded at his observation. However, there were differences.
If Hangzhou is famous for its taverns, then this place is renowned for its tea houses. Perhaps it’s the pride of being the former capital, or perhaps it’s because people here prefer tea to alcohol.
So much so that there’s a saying that any poet worth their salt must compose verses while sipping tea in one of this city’s tea houses.
And since it’s not far from Hubei, I’ve visited this place many times in my previous life.
So the geography here is familiar to me.
“I should pick up some dried meat from that shop over there.”
“I never expected to find a shop selling preserved rations in a place like this.”
Seo-woo Warrior marveled at the discovery.
He thought we had stumbled upon the shop by chance as we wandered about, but that wasn’t the case.
I had deliberately led us there.
The dried meat from that shop is quite delicious, after all.
I purchased far more dried meat than our party needed.
At this, Palgap tilted his head and asked.
“Why are you buying so much?”
“It’ll all be put to good use.”
As we nibbled on the dried meat and wandered about, lunchtime gradually approached.
I glanced back over my shoulder.
I spotted a beggar holding out a bowl, begging for alms.
He continued to act as though he’d been begging there the whole time, but he couldn’t escape my perception.
He was the one who had been tailing us all along. Wherever we went, there was a beggar with the same aura.
Those who weren’t paying attention wouldn’t notice, but the same energy signature appeared at every location we visited.
And remembering faces is my specialty.
I examined the beggar’s waist cord.
Looking at the knots, there were three.
A Beggar Disciple of Gaebang. And quite a high rank at that.
Well, if he’s a disciple of Gaebang, he couldn’t possibly not know of me. Gaebang is one of the Nine Great Sects, after all.
So a fairly high-ranking member of Gaebang had been assigned to me. To gather information about me, no doubt.
But this worked out well for me.
I approached the beggar and tore off some of the extra dried meat I’d purchased, placing it in his bowl.
“Oh, thank you so much, sir.”
“It seems you were curious about my information.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
“You already know who I am, yet you’re playing dumb.”
“….”
His eyes darted about nervously.
“You must be hungry. Have some of this dried meat. It’s quite a delicacy.”
“…gulp.”
No matter how much of a Gaebang disciple he was, a beggar is still a beggar.
He hesitated as he looked at the dried meat I offered, but eventually picked it up and put it in his mouth.
“Here, have some water as well.”
As I poured water from my waterskin into his bowl and handed it to him, he accepted it without resistance and drank it down greedily.
“Would you like some more dried meat?”
“Ahem, hem-hem, well, that’s quite all right.”
Yet his eyes remained fixed upon the dried meat in my hand.
Having tasted the delicacy renowned for its flavor, the dried meat I held now gnawed at his vision.
Is there not such a saying in this world?
The most terrifying taste is one you have already known.
“Do you dislike it? It seems the flavor was not to your liking.”
“Hem, hem-hem. Well, that is not quite… it.”
“Then would you care for a bit more?”
I extended the dried meat toward him, and he reached out his hand toward it.
He devoured that portion in an instant as well.
Seeing this, I smiled with the cunning of a merchant.
“Now then, shouldn’t you pay for the dried meat?”
“Pardon?”
“I never said the dried meat I gave you was free.”
“….”
He protested to me with a bewildered expression.
“How can such a thing be? Surely when one gives alms to a beggar, one does not expect compensation in return?”
“Is that truly so?”
I smiled faintly.
“To be frank, one gives alms to a beggar hoping that good deeds will bring blessings upon oneself, does one not? I cannot speak for others, but that is my nature. Of course, there are those who truly expect nothing in return. Such people are truly virtuous.”
I continued.
“But I am not so virtuous a person.”
“The rumors speak of Seon Hyeop Mi-rang as quite the benevolent one…”
“Is not good and evil relative? I am not so virtuous as to show kindness even to those who shadow my steps as you do.”
“…!”
At my words, he flinched.
“So, what is it you desire from me? Surely you do not expect money from a beggar.”
“Information.”
“You would purchase information for merely one portion of dried meat? Even for a merchant, is that not shamefully cheap?”
“Are you not rather hasty in temperament? When did I say I was purchasing information?”
“Ah, you did not?”
“No.”
“Hem, hem-hem, then what do you desire?”
He seemed caught in my manner of speech, clearing his throat repeatedly.
“Bangju is here in Kaifeng, is he not?”
“…!”
“I wish to meet with Bangju.”
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.
.
A short while later.
Our party headed toward Gaebang Headquarters. The Beggar Child guiding us was the one who had obtained jerky from me.
“H-here it is.”
He led us to a shabby building. Above it hung a plaque reading [Gaebang Headquarters].
By its very nature, Gaebang sought to avoid drawing attention, and so the plaque was equally unassuming.
Before it, Beggars sat idly, scratching their bellies. Yet their eyes remained sharp, surveying their surroundings with keen awareness.
As we approached, one of them spoke.
“What is it?”
“A visitor.”
“A visitor? A handsome face… and a Bear-like Attendant… Could it be Seon Hyeop Mi-rang?”
I smiled and replied.
“It seems you recognize me after all. I appear to be more famous than I thought. May we enter?”
At my question, he nodded.
I bowed respectfully and stepped inside.
The exterior was shabby, but the interior was far worse.
This was indeed Gaebang, as expected.
“This way, please.”
Following the Beggar Child’s guidance, we headed toward the back garden.
Beneath a tree there sat an elderly Beggar.
Nine knots adorned the white-haired old man’s belt.
And the taegu staff at his waist was the symbol of Bangju.
We bowed respectfully with clasped fists.
“So-sang Eun Seo-ho pays respects to Bangju.”
“Hmm…”
He slowly lifted his head to regard me.
“So, you wished to see me?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“People call you Seon Hyeop Mi-rang, but your true nature is that of a merchant. Tell me, what profit do you seek by visiting this old man?”
“First, this is a token of my sincerity.”
I withdrew a promissory note from my sleeve and offered it. Upon seeing it, Bangju’s eyebrows rose sharply.
“Isn’t this a bit excessive for mere sincerity?”
“You are correct. This note is not simply to express sincerity. It also carries a small request.”
“A request?”
“Indeed.”
I nodded.
“Soon, there will be those seeking information about me. I would ask that you inform them our destination is Guangdong Province.”
“Your true destination is not there, is it?”
Truly, Bangju of Gaebang.
He was aware that my real destination was not Guangdong Province.
“Are you asking me to feed false information to our clients? What about the damage to our reputation that would result?”
“Just this once, if you would. After that, you may reveal my true destination.”
“….”
“Times are hard with the famine, aren’t they? Even begging has become difficult.”
“….”
“If you refuse, we can forget this ever happened. Return that voucher to me.”
“Whoa there! This person certainly is impatient!”
Bangju nodded with a conflicted expression.
“Fine. Just this once.”
“Thank you.”
Currently, the two largest information networks are the Hao Organization and Gaebang.
Which meant controlling information from those two places alone would suffice.
So then, shall I go squeeze the Hao Organization?
I had no choice but to spend a considerable sum for this, but our safety mattered more than money.
Money could always be earned again.
And I intended to recoup every expense from the Emperor, interest included.
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.
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The next morning.
We headed to the ferry terminal to board the boat the inn had arranged for us.
We boarded immediately, and our vessel set sail toward Lanzhou in Gansu Province.

* * *

One day after Eun Seo-ho’s party departed.
A group of people appeared in Kaifeng.
“They must have stayed here to cross the river. Make inquiries with the Hao Organization and Gaebang.”
“Yes!”
Shortly after, they returned with identical information.
“They headed south, according to our sources.”
“Based on our intelligence, they appear to be heading toward Guangdong Province.”
“As expected. Let’s go!”
“Yes!”

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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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