The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 356

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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 356

Chapter 356. In Shandong (2)

My alarm stemmed from the figure approaching ahead of me.
Namgung Kang.
The Merchant Guild Leader of the Baekcheon Trading Company.
From what I understood, the Baekcheon Trading Company held a review of the Guild Leader’s qualifications once every five years, attended by the senior figures of the Murim Alliance.
Since the Baekcheon Trading Company operated on funds from the Murim Alliance, the opinions of these senior members carried considerable weight.
And since those senior members were those who contributed a certain minimum share to the Baekcheon Trading Company, they naturally took great interest.
After all, any profits not reinvested went directly into their pockets.
Last autumn, acting on Namgung Kang’s judgment, they had attempted to corner the market on fish bone powder and lime powder—the most critical ingredients for the golden wound salve.
But thanks to my timely intervention, they suffered considerable financial losses, and their standing took a significant blow.
I had heard that Namgung Kang’s position had become quite precarious as a result.
Yet seeing him stride forward with such confidence, it appeared he had successfully retained his position again.
Well, he was always a tenacious man, even in my previous life.
And if he were removed so easily, it wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining.
With so much debt to repay him, the future promised to be far more interesting.
Ah…
A sudden thought gave me pause.
“Is something the matter, sir?” asked Seo-woo Warrior.
I composed my expression and answered in a low voice.
“I’m concerned he might sense my cultivation level. And there’s nowhere to hide right now…”
“You needn’t worry about that.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, let’s respond with composure.”
Soon we drew near, and I greeted him first.
“Ah! Aren’t you the Merchant Guild Leader of the Baekcheon Trading Company?”
He accepted my greeting with a benevolent smile.
“Ah, the Small Guild Master of the Eunhae Trading Company!”
“I’m honored you remember me!”
“Haha, what honor is there in that? So, seeing you here, you’ve come to attend this gathering as well, I take it.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Meeting you like this makes me glad I came.”
“This fellow certainly knows how to flatter. Hehehehe.”
He laughed heartily.
Yes, laugh away.
For the sake of revenge, I could easily offer such flattery.
“Ah, I see you’re in quite a hurry by the brisk pace. I fear I’ve detained you far too long.”
“Not at all. I was glad to see you too.”
“Then please, take a look around.”
“Until next time.”
With that, Namgung Kang and his companions hurried back down the path they had been traveling.
I watched their retreating figures.
My current realm is the pinnacle of perfection.
Thanks to that, I could also discern his realm. His realm too is the pinnacle of perfection.
Truly, the Namgung Family.
To think that even with such talent, he found no place for himself within the family.
I had heard that from his youth, he believed martial prowess could not grant him significant influence within the family, so he redirected his path toward the merchant business.
Indeed, the Namgung Family has several masters at the pinnacle of perfection, and the current House Master is a master of Hwagyeong.
In any case, Seo-woo Warrior asked me not to worry and suggested I meet with him and exchange greetings, but….
Did he truly fail to sense my realm?
If he had sensed it, his expression would not have been so serene. Honestly, reaching the pinnacle of perfection at my age should be impossible.
“May I ask for an explanation now?”
At my question, Seo-woo Warrior nodded.
“Yes. To be honest, we do not know the exact realm of our lord. It was the same before, but now it is even more difficult to discern.”
“What? Did you not say in the Northern Sea that you all understood my realm?”
Seo-woo Warrior shook his head and replied.
“That was not us gauging our lord’s realm, but rather because we witnessed our lord ascending to a new realm at that time.”
“What?”
“Of course, if we were to see our lord employing martial techniques, we could discern that realm. But merely by looking, we cannot. It is as if we were observing an ordinary person.”
There was nothing like that before?
But he is saying it was always this way?
“Did you not know of my realm even before?”
“As I said, we came to know it by witnessing our lord employing martial techniques.”
I turned my gaze toward the other Guard Warriors.
“Just as Seo-woo Warrior says, I too cannot discern our lord’s exact realm merely by outward appearance.”
At Jin Yu Warrior’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.
There was no reason for them to lie to me. And Namgung Kang’s reaction was the same.
Ah… now that I think about it, Namgung Kang seemed completely unaware of my realm before as well.
He only learned of my realm during the incident at the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament when I was revered as a hero.
Then….
This is good.
I smiled faintly.
Regardless of the reason, the fact that the Murim Alliance does not know my realm well is advantageous.
I sent a transmission to my Guard Warriors.
– My external level remains at the peak. Please keep my ascension to the pinnacle of perfection secret for now.
At my transmission, they clasped their fists in acknowledgment.
But what business could Namgung Kang be in such a hurry about?
My intuition was telling me to follow in their footsteps.
I began to trail behind them.

A short while later,
following Namgung Kang and his entourage, we arrived not at the bustling heart of Jinan, but at its periphery.
It was a place slightly removed from the main marketplace, where a three-story tavern stood.
Geumgyeru.
They entered, and we followed naturally in their wake.
At that moment, the conversations of patrons on the first floor reached my ears.

“You’re right—if you want authentic spicy braised chicken in Jinan, this is the place. People simply don’t know about it because it’s so tucked away.”
“Ah! You speak truly!”
“Such delicious food deserves a cup of wine, but this alcohol prohibition makes it impossible. What a shame.”
“Indeed.”

Now I understood why the tavern bore the name Geumgyeru—there was a reason behind it.
Spicy braised chicken was among the most renowned dishes of Shandong Province.
Just how exquisite must it be to inspire such passion?
I would have to taste it myself.
At that moment, the Shop Attendant approached us.
“Welcome. How many in your party?”
“Eight of us.”
After confirming that Namgung Kang and his group had ascended to the third floor, I inquired.
“Is there any availability on the upper floors?”
“The third floor is entirely reserved by a guest at present. Only this floor is available.”
Thorough, as expected.
“Then we’ll take a table here.”
We claimed a spot near the railing on this floor and placed our order.
“I hear the spicy braised chicken here is quite famous.”
“Yes, absolutely! It’s our most celebrated dish!”
“Then bring us that, and serve tea as you see fit.”
“Of course.”
Thus, quite unexpectedly, I found myself dining on braised chicken.
While waiting for the food, I focused my perception toward the third floor.
Fragments of various conversations drifted down—all of them trivial and meaningless.
As this continued, our dishes arrived at the table.
“Please, enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
I addressed everyone present.
“Let’s eat.”
“I humbly partake of this meal!”
“I humbly partake of this meal.”
The moment I took a bite of that fiery braised chicken, I couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.
Wow! Why is this so delicious?
Across both my past and present lives, this was the most exquisite spicy braised chicken dish I had ever tasted.
The conversation I had overheard from the first-floor patrons about this dish was no exaggeration whatsoever.
If anything, they had understated it.
“Wow! This is incredibly delicious!”
At Palgap’s words, the other Guard Warriors nodded in agreement and began devouring their food.
Yet in my previous life, though I had often come to this area, I had never encountered Geumgyeru.
Moreover, if this place created food this magnificent, there was no way I could have been unaware of it… Wait!
I shouldn’t be distracted like this.
The flavor was so captivating it demanded all my attention.
I quickly regained my composure and focused on the conversation.
Fortunately, it seemed we were finally approaching the main topic.

“So, all I need to do is shake up that old man?”
“That’s all there is to it.”
“But now that I think about it, I feel like I’m taking quite a loss. As you know, that old man doesn’t rattle easily, so I’m taking on considerable risk. The compensation you’ve offered seems rather insufficient.”
“You think that’s too little?”
“Since you’re offering anyway, add another hundred taels.”
“Fine. A mere hundred taels—I’ll add it.”
“Thank you. And please ensure you honor your promise to give me the position of Chief Manager when I join your merchant guild.”

Even at first glance, this conversation reeked of something unsavory.

“Then we should be on our way.”
“Safe travels to you.”

I quickly pretended to know nothing and focused intently on my food.
“Wow, this is genuinely delicious.”
“Indeed it is. May we order another serving?”
“Ah, of course. I’m not the type to be stingy about food.”
At my words, Palgap’s face broke into a bright smile as he called over the Shop Attendant to order another portion of the spicy braised chicken.

* * *

Namgung Kang finished his conversation and descended from the third floor of the Tavern.
The newly appointed Deputy Officer approached him cautiously.
“Will you truly add another hundred taels, sir?”
“Adding another hundred taels to this matter is hardly a waste. It will become a stepping stone for Baekcheon Trading Company to climb higher.”
“That may be true, but….”
“What troubles you?”
“Bringing the Marketplace into Baekcheon Trading Company feels problematic. If our involvement is exposed through the Marketplace….”
“Do not worry. The Marketplace will have no work to do within our Merchant Guild.”
“Pardon?”
After a moment, he grasped the meaning and nodded.
It was precisely this perceptiveness that had led Namgung Kang to appoint him as Deputy Officer.
“You are truly worthy of the title, Guild Master!”
At this moment, Namgung Kang felt the pressure mounting.
Earlier this year, discussions had arisen regarding the position of Baekcheon Merchant Guild Master, and the senior figures of the Murim Alliance had begun fingering the blade of his dismissal.

“At the winter solstice announcement from the Imperial Palace, Baekcheon Trading Company’s ranking among the Hundred Greatest Merchants of the Land was sixth.”
“Not only did we fail to rise from last time—we fell.”
“I, that is… I am deeply sorry.”
“We suffer losses, we endure ridicule, our ranking drops… why should we continue to keep you in the position of Guild Master?”
“….”
“However, your family’s honor must be considered, and given your efforts thus far, I will grant you one more opportunity.”
“Thank you!”
“But there is a condition.”
“A condition, you say….”
“Three years! Within that time, make Baekcheon Trading Company one of the Three Great Trading Companies of the World. Fail, and it truly ends.”
“However, does the appointment and dismissal of a Guild Master not allow for a five-year tenure?”
“Of course it does. But if you cannot elevate Baekcheon to the Three Great Trading Companies within three years, then your abilities have reached their limit. What use is there in waiting longer?”
“….”

That was the reality.
I had to make Baekcheon Trading Company one of the Three Great Trading Companies of the World within three years.
To accomplish that in such a short time, I had no choice but to topple higher-ranked merchant guilds or seize their assets.
‘I’ve showered those old men with expensive gifts and wagged my tail so much… damn it, a conditional Merchant Guild Leader!’
As I descended from the third floor while cursing the senior officials of the Murim Alliance in my mind, I froze.
There were familiar faces at a table over there.
“Aren’t those people the Small Guild Master and his entourage from Eunhae Trading Company?”
My Deputy Officer seemed to recognize them as well.
“Could they have overheard our conversation?”
“That’s possible.”
Just then, Palgap raised his hand high and called for the Shop Attendant.
“We’d like to order!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Please bring five more servings of spicy braised chicken.”
“Right away, sir!”
On their table lay a heap of stripped chicken bones piled high.
If they had been focused on eavesdropping, such evidence could never have accumulated.
Moreover, seeing their appetites, I found myself growing hungry as well.
“From the looks of it, they seem to have come simply to eat.”
“That’s what I think too. They certainly have healthy appetites.”
“Let’s leave quickly. It’s best if no one knows we’ve met that man.”
“Yes, understood.”
Since I had cleared the entire third floor beforehand, their conversation would not have reached this level.
‘With martial prowess at the peak level, one cannot hear conversations from the floor above. Besides, the ceiling height here is quite considerable.’
That was why I had chosen this place as a meeting point.
Eun Seo-ho’s realm was not outwardly apparent, but he did not lack martial techniques with such characteristics.
Moreover, if his origins or background had been suspicious, the Murim Alliance would never have so readily elevated him as a hero during the recent Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament.
Even from the Murim Alliance’s perspective, though they needed to redirect people’s attention, they would not have done so if there had been anything suspicious.
That was simply the nature of the Murim Alliance.
With those thoughts dismissed, Namgung Kang hurriedly left the tavern.

* * *

I caught a glimpse of Namgung Kang’s retreating figure as he slipped out of the tavern.
Despite seeing us—exactly as I’d anticipated—he pretended not to notice and fled the place like a man escaping.
There was no doubt about it: his purpose in coming here was far from honorable.
I rose from my seat, feigning a trip to the privy while concealing my presence, and quietly made my way to the Third Floor.
There, I observed the face of a man sitting alone, sipping tea.
Who was this person?
I had never seen this face, even in my previous life.
I quietly returned to my original seat and sent a silent message to Jin Yu Warrior, asking him to investigate this man.
Baekcheon Trading Company was clearly scheming something. Moreover, their intentions looked decidedly sinister.
If that were the case, I naturally had to ruin their plans.

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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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