The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 343

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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 343

Chapter 343. Things Gone Awry (6)

I laughed awkwardly and spoke.
“Haha. You jest quite severely.”
“It is no jest.”
Yeon Ju-hyuk’s face was grave as he replied.
“Through your teachings just now, I have become certain. I have never encountered a master who cares for me so genuinely and worries for me so deeply.”
“But you have a master from the Hengshan Sect, do you not?”
“To be honest, our master-disciple relationship exists only because of the honor of teaching the Provincial Governor’s son and the donations my family provided.”
He continued.
“My current level of cultivation is solely the result of my own effort.”
“….”
How resolute.
“I wish to formally take you as my master, Small Guild Master.”
“What of your age, Young Master?”
“I am thirty-one this year.”
“I am only twenty-one. A master ten years younger than you! People will mock us!”
“Let them mock! I do not care.”
“….”
But I do care, quite a bit.
“I will not move from this spot until you grant your permission.”
I glanced at Yeon Ju-hyuk’s Guard standing beside him.
But the moment he met my gaze, he knelt down as well.
“Please, I beg you to hear my lord’s request.”
Wait, hold on?
You shouldn’t be doing that.
Ah, this is truly troublesome.
A man whose stubbornness is harder than steel wire will not yield easily.
Of course, I could turn away coldly or gently persuade him to abandon the idea.
But my hesitation stems from the considerable help I received from him in my previous life.
He protected me until the very end and died doing so.

“Meeting my lord, serving my lord, and being able to die for my lord—all of it is an unmixed joy without a shred of regret for me.”

With those words, he charged into the enemy and fell in battle.
That final statement of his—I have not forgotten it even now.
I regarded him with complicated eyes.
“Would it not be better to seek a Master more accomplished than myself?”
“To me, Eun Small Merchant Leader is an accomplished Master.”
“Hmm, I understand. Then let us do this instead.”
His gaze turned toward me at my words.
“I will not formally establish a master-disciple bond. To be frank, that would be far too burdensome for me. Moreover, this decision made in this moment could be nothing more than a fleeting impulse.”
I continued gently.
“So, train faithfully under my instruction for three years, and if your resolve remains unchanged even then, come find me. However, if you do not accept my proposal, we shall consider this matter never to have occurred. What will you do?”
At my question, he pondered briefly before nodding.
“So you are saying you will teach me martial arts. I understand. Three years will pass in a blink.”
I know that too.
It feels like only yesterday that I returned as fifteen years old, yet I am already twenty-one.
And I know he will not abandon his path even after three years.
The reason I set a three-year grace period was because his training direction was already determined.
By then, he will excel without my guidance as Master.
And I did not tell him I would establish a master-disciple bond with him after three years.
I simply told him to come find me.
“So now, please rise.”
The two men stood at my words.
“Listen carefully.”
I explained to him the training he must undertake.
“Stop lingering near Dongjeong Lake. The masters of the caliber the Young Master wishes to spar with are those who understand the shackles of hidden debts in the Murim world. They will not deliberately create troublesome situations.”
I continued.
“Needless to say, you would provoke such masters to arrange a match….”
My words proved accurate, for his face flushed.
“The only masters who would fall for such provocation are those of the Black Path, who give no thought to consequences. And their methods are cowardly and vicious.”
Yeon Ju-hyuk’s Guard nodded at my words. That look in his eyes told me I had scratched exactly where he itched.
“A life is singular. And the Young Master’s life belongs not only to himself, but also to his parents, siblings, and his own wife and children.”
“I shall keep that in mind.”
“And….”
I instructed him to repeat daily the three fundamental trainings and nine basic sword forms that our Eunhae Trading Company’s Eunpung Corps warriors perform each day—one thousand repetitions each.
Of course, it will not be easy.
But this will change the course of his life.
I gazed up at the moon in the sky.
My, time has slipped away more than I expected.
“Then I shall take my leave now.”
“Shall I see you off——”
“Do you remember everything I instructed?”
“Ah….”
“There’s no need to see me off. Write it down before you forget.”
“Understood.”
I declined his offer to escort me and followed the Attendant out once more.
As I trailed behind the Attendant, I watched for an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.
The Inner Quarters had a more complex layout than the Outer Quarters, which made it easy to disappear.
I felt a bit sorry for the Attendant who would panic upon discovering my absence, but there was no helping it.
I concentrated my qi perception and located the Black Path aura I had sensed earlier.
The Fourth Young Master would be there.
Wait?
But I sensed more than one Black Path aura.
However, since multiple auras emanated from the same building, I suspected that someone dispatched to assist the Fourth Young Master was present as well.
Whoosh!
I launched my body technique toward that location.

Moments later.
I arrived at a building.
It was a Separate Quarters similar in size to the Second Young Master’s, but since he hadn’t yet married, far fewer people resided there.
I sensed their auras and moved toward where the Black Path energy felt strongest.
But….
It wasn’t the Fourth Young Master.
Who was this?
Judging by his attire, he didn’t appear to be of high status—more like a servant or Attendant….
The way he glanced around nervously while leaving the Main Gate seemed distinctly suspicious.
Wandering about on such a night was odd enough, and the way he remained vigilant despite being in his own residence….
That meant he feared his actions being discovered by someone.
My instincts told me to follow this man. There were times when one had to trust instinct, and this was one of them.
I carefully tailed him.
Upon reaching a tree in the Inner Quarters, he withdrew something from his sleeve and inserted it into a hollow in the trunk.
It was positioned high and concealed so cleverly that it was nearly invisible at first glance.
Piiik—!
He blew a whistle.
It was nearly silent, but I sensed something peculiar in the qi when he blew it.
Then he returned to the Inner Quarters.
I examined the surrounding auras, confirmed no one was nearby, and approached the tree.
I retrieved what he had hidden.
It was a letter.
I unfolded and read it.
“…!”
My instinct had been correct. Following that suspicious man had been the right call.

[I report to you. Today, someone came from the Baekran household and brought news that the patient’s condition has improved. We had previously received reports that the Fourth Son would not be far from falling, and we heard he has withdrawn. We need to verify this and take appropriate measures.]

Baekran clearly refers to Lady Zaling.
The white magnolia, called Baekryeon, sheds completely after a single frost, so its actual blooming period is shorter than one might think.
In other words, it was written this way to mean a flower that would fall quickly.
Goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
Leaving this letter here was clearly for the sake of regular reports.
What would have happened if this had fallen into their hands?
Aside from it being quite troublesome, Lady Zaling’s life would have been in danger.
I continued reading the rest of the letter.

[The fourth branch seems to have caught on. We may need to eliminate him soon.]

Huh? What does this mean?
The fourth branch surely refers to the Fourth Son.
But for “caught on” to make natural sense in context, it presupposes that he didn’t know.
What? Then?
Was the Fourth Son not a conspirator, but rather being used?
I’ll worry about that later—first, what do I do with this letter?
As I pondered for a moment, I realized there was no need to ponder at all.
I could simply say I found it.
The world is full of unexpected things—a bird could have flown down and landed here, then this letter could have fallen.
Wait… a bird?
I sensed a very faint but unmistakable aura of the Black Path from the sky above, and I understood how this letter had been retrieved.
It had been delivered through a trained bird. The whistle he blew earlier was to call the bird.
Honestly, I had wondered how he could deliver this letter while hiding it inside the Inner Quarters, but there was a way.
Just then, I sensed someone’s presence from over there.
A familiar aura. It was the Attendant who had guided me.
Perfect timing.
“Oh? You were here?”
He rushed toward me with a worried expression on his face, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
“I’ve been searching for you for quite a while.”
“Haha. My apologies. I found something interesting and stopped to look at it for a moment, then lost my way. I tried to find my way back, but I thought it would be a bother to the others if I called out loudly, so…”
“So you wandered and ended up here.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“In any case, I’m glad we found you. Actually, the Inner Quarters here have been expanded upon repeatedly, so people often lose their way.”
“Ah, so that’s why I couldn’t find my way. I’m usually not bad with directions… I was quite troubled.”
I continued speaking naturally.
“Oh, and I found this lying on the ground.”
I held out the letter and spoke.
“It seems a bird perched on this tree was startled by my presence and dropped this as it flew away.”
“That is… a letter, is it not?”
“Yes, but the contents struck me as rather peculiar. Might I have an audience with the Provincial Inspector at this hour?”
He deliberated for a moment, then nodded.
“It is not yet time for the Inspector to retire to his bridal chamber, so it should be acceptable.”
With that, I made my way directly to the Magistrate’s Office. He had mentioned that remaining matters would be handled in the office located in the outer quarters.
I was granted an audience and entered the office.
“Well, what brings you at this late hour?”
“It is this letter that compelled me to seek you out.”
I presented the letter and explained the circumstances from beginning to end. Of course, I omitted the true details.
The Honam Province Administrator read the letter, and his expression hardened.
He understood as well.
That something was amiss with this letter. After all, we had informed him today that Lady Zaling’s condition was improving, and that very content was written here.
“It seemed the Inspector ought to know of this, so I came to you at this hour.”
“Hmm, I appreciate it.”
He stared at the letter for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle.
“Since matters have unfolded this way, allow me to ask you directly. What is your true reason for coming here?”
“Pardon?”
“Do not tell me it was because you owed a debt of gratitude to the Guizhou Provincial Governor and found it difficult to refuse his request. It would be more accurate to say you conducted a transaction with him.”
Ah… I may need to lay my cards on the table.
“And you claim you wandered through the inner quarters? That is absurd. A master of your caliber?”
He continued.
“There is clearly a reason you came here, and I suspect it is connected to this very letter, is it not?”
His insight is formidable.
Indeed, the Honam Province Administrator, like the Guizhou Provincial Governor, is among the younger officials.
When I investigated the Honam Province Administrator to resolve this matter, I learned he was quite a capable administrator.
That is why he caught the Current Emperor’s eye and rose swiftly through the ranks before being appointed to Honam Province.
This region is abundant in resources and possesses vast granary lands, making it a rather important territory.
I regarded him carefully.
It was fortunate I discovered this letter.
I had learned that the Honam Province Administrator was uninvolved in this affair.
Had he been connected to the Murim Alliance, the Emperor would have been deeply disappointed.
I smiled inwardly.
Competence meant he could become a reliable ally.
That is why I came to seek his assistance.
I needed his help to investigate this household thoroughly.
I bowed respectfully and spoke.
“To speak truthfully, I must first tell you that Lady Zaling’s condition was not a simple illness, but rather poisoning.”
“Poisoning, you say?”
“Yes. And coincidentally, the tea that contained the poison was sent from this side.”
“What? Is that true?”
The Provincial Governor’s expression shifted to one of shock at my words.
“Yes, it is true.”
“How could such a thing happen….”
He sighed deeply.
“That is why I have come here to uncover the truth of this matter.”
“This is a grave matter indeed. To think someone would attempt to harm a woman coming into our household! And Lady Zaling at that….”
His tone had grown remarkably familiar.
“It seems you hold Lady Zaling in great affection.”
He nodded in agreement.
“There are regular gatherings where the Provincial Governors meet. Through those occasions, our families have grown close, and so we have become acquainted.”
“I see.”
“I was so eager to take her as a daughter-in-law that I pressed for the betrothal myself. How could such a thing occur….”
He furrowed his brow.
“Sigh, far more terrible events are unfolding than I had ever imagined.”
“Sir?”
Did his words mean that the Honam Province Administrator was also aware of the situation unraveling around him?

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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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