The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 316

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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 316

Chapter 316. In Lanzhou (3)

In any case, we began making inquiries about where the carriage had gone.
“A large carriage drawn by three horses isn’t particularly common. Horses are quite expensive, after all.”
Three horses large enough to pull a carriage could buy a small tile-roofed house.
Because of this, a horse-drawn carriage was actually quite a conspicuous object.
“Those who attacked it couldn’t possibly be unaware of it. Besides, this is a residential area. So naturally, they must have disguised themselves as merchants.”
“I think the same way.”
Since there were only set routes the carriage could take, we questioned people based on those paths.
Fortunately, people answered me kindly.
“Now that I think about it, I did see a group of merchants pass through here at that time.”
“Do you happen to know which merchant guild they were from?”
“Let me see… Yes, they were flying the banner of the O Clan Merchant Guild.”
The O Clan Merchant Guild.
They were the largest merchant guild in Gansu Province.
That meant either they were using a disguise, or they were truly behind this incident.
However, I leaned toward the former possibility.
The O Clan Merchant Guild had no reason to do such a thing, nor were they the type to do it.
If I continued investigating, I would eventually discover the point where they abandoned their disguise.
“I apologize for asking again, but are you certain?”
“Of course. I’ve lived here for decades. By the way, you’re quite a handsome young man.”
“Haha, thank you.”
“You look just like Yun Seok.”
“Pardon?”
“My son. Actually, you resemble my son more.”
“Are you hungry? I just made dumplings. Would you like some?”
“Thank you.”
After finishing my inquiries with several people and returning to our gathering point, I found that Palgap had already arrived.
“Young Master, did you manage to gather any information?”
At Palgap’s words, I nodded.
“It seems they went that way.”
“But did people really tell you willingly?”
“Yes. They were very kind. They even shared dumplings with me.”
Palgap shook his head as he looked at the dumplings in my hand.
“Indeed, the world is corrupt.”
“What? The dumplings are rotten?”
“No, that’s not it.”

As we were inquiring about the carriage’s whereabouts, a man approached us.
“Might you be those sent by the highest authority?”
A phrase referring to the Emperor, and the distinctive fragrance I detected.
Dongchang, then.
Only Eunuch Officials could belong to Dongchang, and due to their condition, they always carried fragrant pouches to mask the odor of urine leakage.
The scent emanating from this man was the same fragrance I had always detected from the Eunuch Officials at the Imperial Palace.
“Who might you be?”
“Ah, forgive me for startling you. I am Chung Gwan, an official of Dongchang overseeing this region.”
“So you are Official Chung Gwan.”
“Yes. Not long ago, I reported to my superiors that the Great Hero Warriors of the Geumui Guard had gone missing, and I was anxiously waiting. Then I heard that you were all inquiring about a carriage, so I hurried to find you.”
“I see. Still, it’s fortunate we could make contact sooner than expected.”
“Indeed. And I have just discovered the location where the Great Hero Warriors of the Geumui Guard are believed to be held.”
“That is excellent news.”
We followed him to the location.
Though it saved us considerable effort, something felt amiss.
Soon we arrived at a mountain stronghold.
“That’s the place.”
We observed the stronghold from a distance. There appeared to be about ten sentries standing guard outside.
The repugnant aura emanating from them was proof that they belonged to the Black Path.
“Do you happen to know the situation inside?”
“I was unable to ascertain that much. However, from what I observed, the cries of young children could be heard continuously from within. It appears to be where kidnapped children are being held.”
“I see.”
Bang Nosa nodded.
“Then those who kidnapped the children must also be the ones who took the Geumui Guard Warriors.”
“What shall we do?”
“What else? We rescue them.”
I countered his words.
“But charging in recklessly seems unwise when we know so little of the enemy’s strength.”
Bang Nosa nodded at my words.
“True, we don’t know the layout or situation inside. Then we must find someone who can inform us of what lies within.”
Bang Nosa explained the plan to us.
“First, I will lure some of the sentries over here. When I signal, you subdue them.”
“Understood.”
“And you.”
Bang Nosa spoke to the Dongchang official called Chung Gwan.
“It could be dangerous, so stay back and keep yourself safe.”
“That’s not necessary. I have also trained in martial arts and can protect myself.”
“Hah, but if we fail, won’t we need someone to report our fate?”
“…That certainly seems to be the case.”
“Then hurry and hide yourself away.”
“Very well, I shall do so. But what method are you planning to use to lure them out…?”
“Ah, I thought I’d grill some meat.”
“Hmm, that’s certainly a method worth considering. Then I wish you success.”
With that, Chung Gwan descended the mountain, and as I watched his retreating figure, Bang Nosa asked me a question.
“Phew, I’m starving. Aren’t you hungry?”
At Bang Nosa’s question, I let out a soft chuckle.
“I’m quite hungry as well.”
“But didn’t you just eat dumplings?”
“And didn’t you yourself not eat even one, Nosa?”
At my counter-question, Bang Nosa chuckled softly. Then, glancing around, he pointed to a spot and spoke to his attendant.
“Seok Baek. Get a charcoal fire going.”
“Understood.”
The attendant immediately began kindling the charcoal, and the guard who saw this disappeared somewhere, only to return shortly with a deer in hand.
Before long, the butchered venison was placed on a grill over the charcoal fire.
Sizzzzle.
“Do you really carry charcoal and a grill with you even in circumstances like these?”
“Of course! Even if I can’t eat vegetables, I must eat meat. What I love most is meat. Meat!”
Huh, that’s the same as me?
I quickly sat down in front of him and spoke.
“Precisely. Meat is truth itself, and a world without meat is a bleak world indeed.”
“Hahaha. That’s right.”
Once the meat was somewhat cooked, Bang Nosa fanned it so that the smoke drifted toward the bandit stronghold.
“What are you doing?”
“What am I doing? I’m diligently luring those bastards out with the aroma.”
“Pardon?”
“Sit down. The meat that’s done is ready to eat. If we cook it longer here, it’ll burn, and then the effect will actually diminish.”
“That certainly makes sense.”
Saying so, I sat down in front of him and picked up a piece of meat.
“Were you truly serious about luring them out with the smell of grilled meat?”
“I was.”
“I thought you meant to separate that Dongchang fellow called Chung Gwan from the others.”
At my words, Bang Nosa grinned widely.
“So you noticed it too.”
“Yes. There were certain aspects that seemed odd to me.”
There were two things that struck me as strange.
First was that he claimed to have heard a child’s crying.
His inner cultivation was only second-rate.
At that level, no matter how much he concentrated his power in his ears, it would be difficult to hear sounds from that mountain stronghold.
Second, there was the repugnant aura of the Black Path clinging to him.
“He’s certainly suspicious. But I knew something was off about him the moment we arrived at the Geumui Guard Residence.”
“Really?”
“First, the circumstances described in the Emperor’s letter seemed strange. Communication had been cut off for four days, and by the time we arrived, less than a month had passed, though some additional time had elapsed.”
I nodded after checking the dates.
“But the time I sensed while examining that residence was considerably longer. The thickness of dust accumulation was over a month’s worth.”
I felt a slight admiration that one could discern such details from dust thickness alone.
“Then could it be? Is he the very person who revealed the Geumui Guard Residence to the enemies and allowed them easy entry?”
“That’s my suspicion.”
Just as I thought!
“But can this meat smell really lure the enemies?”
“There must be quite a number of people staying in that bandit stronghold. Ten guards means there are likely more inside.”
“That’s true.”
“I asked people earlier about the quantity and frequency of carts heading into that place. When I calculated it, the numbers were steadily decreasing.”
Bang Nosa chuckled.
“Even if all of it were provisions, the numbers don’t add up. So would those people actually be getting proper food in their mouths?”
“Well, that’s certainly the case.”
“This smell is probably driving them mad with desire. Still, they won’t come easily. They’re not complete fools, after all.”
“What do you mean?”
What on earth was he talking about?
“From what I can see, they’re currently in quite a desperate situation. They may have been abandoned from above. So to investigate the cause of this, they’ve made the bold move of kidnapping the Geumui Guard.”
Bang Nosa spoke while eating the meat.
“Normally they wouldn’t have thought of such a thing, but the existence of a traitor is what made them resolve to do it.”
“I see.”
“They didn’t burn the residence to buy time for gathering information about their superiors.”
“If they burned the residence, a much faster and more intensive investigation would be launched.”
“Exactly. And if we manage to rescue even one of the Geumui Guard Warriors, could this Chung Gwan possibly escape unscathed?”
“He absolutely could not.”
“That means this scheme came from that Chung Gwan’s mind. Ironically, it’s become the very thing that will be his undoing.”
Thus we discussed these matters while tearing into the venison.
It tasted quite good prepared this way.
Indeed, meat truly tastes best when grilled over charcoal.
After eating for some time, he spoke.
“Well then, shall we get moving soon?”
“What?”
“Where do you think that Chung Gwan has gone? Surely he’s gone to inform them of our presence. Then they’ll bring their warriors here. That’s when we have our chance to rescue the captured Geumui Guard.”
“Then could this meat-grilling smell be…?”
“Yes, it’s to lure them to this place.”
Only then did I understand the true purpose of grilling the meat.
Of course, filling our bellies was a bonus.

* * *

Chung Gwan had always loved money.
Hearing that he could earn a great fortune, he volunteered to become a eunuch and entered the Imperial Palace as an Eunuch Official.
During that time, he gained the opportunity to become part of Dongchang.
What Dongchang dealt in was information.
And information always converted to money.
But since he had to avoid places with many eyes watching, he deliberately came to Gansu Province far from the Imperial Palace, and from then on, it became his world.
He began selling the information he obtained to others and pocketing the profits.
Though he accumulated a considerable fortune that way, a problem arose.
Golden Robe Guard Warriors were dispatched to investigate a disappearance case that occurred in Northern Gansu.
And they discovered Chung Gwan’s corruption.

“How dare you, who should serve faithfully as the Emperor’s eyes and ears, pursue private gain! I shall report this to the throne without fail!”

It was a catastrophe.
At this rate, not only would he lose the fortune he had accumulated, but his very life would be forfeit.
Yet he could not simply accept death quietly.
He resolved to strike at the Golden Robe Guard from behind and immediately went to the Mountain Stronghold suspected of being where the children were kidnapped.
He sold them information about the Golden Robe Guard Warriors.
They ambushed and captured the Golden Robe Guard Warriors, attempting to extract information from them. But the warriors did not yield their secrets easily.
It mattered not. If they died under interrogation, this affair would end cleanly.
His own corruption would become as if it never existed.
‘Besides, I’ve destroyed all the documents pertaining to me.’
But then.
Another problem emerged.
People appeared searching for the carriage that had transported the Golden Robe Guard Warriors to the Mountain Stronghold that day.
As expected, they were those sent by the Emperor, tracking the whereabouts of the Golden Robe Guard.
It was a catastrophe.
If they rescued the Golden Robe Guard, his corruption would also be exposed to the world.
So he approached them first.
Fortunately, they suspected him not at all, and while executing their operation, they kept him away out of concern for his safety.
It was an opportunity.
He slipped away toward the Mountain Stronghold.
“What brings you here?”
Since he had seen that face often, those at the Mountain Stronghold did not stop him.
“It is an emergency. Where is the Stronghold Master?”
“He is inside.”
“I must see him urgently.”
He met with the Stronghold Master and explained the situation from beginning to end.
“So they’re trying to lure us out with the smell of roasting meat? Ha ha ha! Those fools.”
The Stronghold Master sneered at them, then ground his teeth.
“It’s certainly a clever method. Especially given our current circumstances.”
He had kidnapped the children on orders from above. But after bringing the children several times, there had been no further contact from his superiors.
Even the food rations they had been providing had been cut off.
When he grew anxious, the Geumui Guard appeared, and according to Chung Gwan’s words, they were connected to this incident.
So he was torturing the kidnapped children to extract information.
They hadn’t spoken yet, but it would be soon.
And now, people who knew even more information had appeared.
“Then it would be proper to respond to their invitation.”
The Stronghold Master grinned wickedly.
“Boys. Grab your weapons.”

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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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