The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 358

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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 358

Chapter 358. In Shandong (4)

I tilted my head at Father’s question before answering.
“Does it mean to earn silver as abundantly as the sea?”
“That interpretation is correct as well, but the true intention of the First Trading Company Master who founded the Eunhae Trading Company was different.”
“I see?”
“There is a record passed down only to successive Merchant Guild Leaders. That record clearly documented the reason the First Trading Company Master named it the Eunhae Trading Company.”
Father chuckled softly.
“One cannot become a true Great Merchant by remaining only within this empire. A true Great Merchant must look toward the wealth beyond the sea. For that reason, he named it the Eunhae Trading Company.”
I never knew such meaning lay behind the name Eunhae Trading Company!
Yet suddenly, one question occurred to me.
“But why… the Eunhae Trading Company instead of the Gold Sea Trading Company?”
I mean, really.
Gold is honestly more valuable than silver.
At my question, Father laughed heartily.
“Indeed, that’s something I don’t quite know myself.”
“Is there no record regarding that?”
“No.”
Father continued speaking.
“You investigate it yourself. Why it is the Eunhae Trading Company and not the Gold Sea Trading Company.”
“Understood.”
Beyond discovering the Ghost-Face Pao Elder’s true birthday, I now had another task.
To discover why our trading company was named the Eunhae Trading Company instead of the Gold Sea Trading Company.
“In any case, the First Trading Company Master said that once our Eunhae Trading Company grows to rank fifty or higher among the Baekdae Merchant Guild Alliance, we would be free to venture to the sea.”
“Then we should be permitted to do so now.”
“Yes. Now is the time for us to attempt it.
Our Eunhae Trading Company’s rank is thirty-five.
We more than satisfy the condition the First Trading Company Master set forth.
Moreover, our company is ranked thirty-five only in official standing—our actual capacity is far more substantial.
We have many exclusive monopoly sales, including the Jakpung Device, and their profit margins are quite generous.
“And one of the places where we store the Eunhae Trading Company’s goods is located by the riverbank.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“Do you not think that location is considerably spacious relative to our company’s scale?”
Could it be…?
“Could that place have been prepared in advance by the First Trading Company Master?”
“Yes.”
Father nodded in acknowledgment.
“It’s a place the First Trading Company Master prepared in advance—somewhere we can build a ship.”
Only then did I understand why Father had worn such a bitter expression throughout my past life.
It was self-reproach for not properly honoring the First Trading Company Master’s legacy.
At that time, our Merchant Guild’s standing hadn’t even reached the fiftieth rank.
Of course, we could have attempted trade with the Dae-Wol Kingdom, but the lack of sufficient capital had been the problem.
“I’ll push forward with it as soon as we return.”
“Thank you.”
I continued speaking.
“And I’ve already found someone suitable for the task.”
“Is that so? Who might that be?”
“They’ll arrive soon.”
Father tilted his head at my words.
“Arrive soon?”
“I plan to hire a truly magnificent warrior—one who belongs to the sea.”
The Emperor hiring our Merchant Guild to conduct trade would happen no earlier than next summer at the earliest.
And the reason I’m rushing ahead is that preparing for maritime trade cannot be accomplished in a short span of time.
So I’m building a suitable ship in advance and finding someone to lead that ship in trade.
Of course, I would have preferred to start earlier, but only now did I know the exact location of the Sailor I’d met this time.
And even if I’d built the ship beforehand, it would have been useless. With the existing design, we couldn’t safely make the voyage to and from the Dae-Wol Kingdom.
In other words, this is precisely the right moment from every angle.
Of course, I have no intention of going to the Dae-Wol Kingdom myself.
I still have much work to do in this Empire.

* * *

Eun Seo-ho left the Inn, and Yong Eung-wan, the Warrior, gazed at the characters written on the Dining Table.
Redemption money.
It meant the price of freedom—the cost to become a free man.
This man named Eun Seo-ho who had sought me out wrote those characters and said he would pay it on my behalf.
I bit my lip.
‘Can I really trust him?’
Honestly, I was in no position to trust anyone.
Then I sensed someone approaching, and I quickly erased the characters with my hand.
“Hey!”
Someone plopped down across from me.
It was one of my close Fellow Sailors.
A man I’d grown naturally close to as we found ourselves working together more often than not.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Something? No…”
“A man dressed that finely wouldn’t come to a place like this. Unless he was looking for the Ship Owner.”
“…”
Whether you’d call it keen observation or sharp instinct, his question cut right to the heart of it.
But I couldn’t tell him the truth, so I deflected vaguely.
“Just… someone I helped before when a pickpocket tried to steal from him. He came to thank me.”
“I could have sworn I heard him say he’d help you.”
“Your ears are sharp too.”
“Whatever the situation, if he offered to help, you should accept his goodwill.”
“Huh?”
“Wait… you don’t know who came to see you?”
At that question, Yong Eung-wan nodded.
“What?! Good heavens! You don’t know Eun Seo-ho the Great Hero!”
“Who exactly is he?”
“A hero of the Murim Alliance! A hero of the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament! The inheritor of the absolute technique of Geuk Cheon Sword from two hundred years ago! With his exceptional beauty, he captivates the hearts of men and women, young and old alike, but it’s actually his righteous martial conduct that draws more attention—Seon Hyeop Mi-rang!”
“…”
I realized the man before me was quite well-informed about rumors. But he wasn’t the type to boast or lie either.
‘Then can I really trust him?’
But my doubts remained unresolved.
What exactly did he intend to use me for if he was willing to pay my redemption money?
‘Could it be as a Guard Warrior?’
But he was already surrounded by Guard Warriors so formidable that even I felt intimidated.
That was when it happened.
“Ah! So Seon Hyeop Mi-rang visited this place?”
I turned my head at those words—a customer who had just entered. Yong Eung-wan’s Fellow Sailor asked in response.
“Do you know Seon Hyeop Mi-rang?”
“Of course. I’ve even met him directly.”
He nodded confidently.
“Truly a beautiful man.”
At those words, Yong Eung-wan nodded. The description was accurate—he was indeed remarkably handsome.
“But when did you meet him?”
“Let me think… Ah yes! I met him on the way to Lanzhou.”
“Lanzhou?”
“He boarded the ship I work on. Anyway, it was spring then, so the waters were swollen and the rapids were extremely treacherous. You know how dangerous the rapids in the upper reaches of the Yellow River are, don’t you?”
The two men nodded at the question.
“The adults were secured to the ship’s rigging, so they were fine, but a child fell into the water because the rope was tied too loosely!”
“Gasp!”
“Oh no!”
“But then! Seon Hyeop Mi-rang stepped forward without a moment’s hesitation. He simply removed his outer robe and jumped straight into the rapids.”
“What?”
They understood. They knew how dangerous the Yellow River rapids were.
Even seasoned martial artists couldn’t guarantee their survival if caught in those rapids!
“Yet in less than an hour, he had rescued the drowning child and returned to the ship.”
“Truly?”
“Of course it’s true!”
“But why would he do something so perilous? No matter how much he wanted to save the child… he could have been in danger himself, couldn’t he?”
At the question, the Sailor shrugged.
“I don’t know either. From what I heard, he’s just that kind of person. On the return voyage from Lanzhou to Beijing, he also used our ship. He was transporting a group of troublemakers who were trying to throw the nation into chaos. And because of the trouble they caused, he generously paid the ship’s fare to compensate for our losses.”
“….”
He chuckled.
“If you don’t believe me, ask our Ship Owner.”
“No, no. I believe you.”
He turned to Yong Eung-wan and spoke.
“He really is as good as the rumors say. From what I can tell, his offer to help means hiring you as a worker for his merchant guild. So if he proposes employment, accept without hesitation. From what I hear, the Eunhae Trading Company, where he serves as Small Merchant Guild Leader, treats people so well. You’ll earn far more money and be much safer than working as a sailor.”
He continued.
“You need to survive to the end if you’re going to return to your family back home.”
“Huh?”
The friendly Sailor spoke to the startled Yong Eung-wan.
“What? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
He smiled faintly.
“I don’t know what your circumstances are. But fellows as desperate as you always have a reason. And most of the time, it’s family or a lover. There’s no one as desperately driven to earn money as you without some reason like that.”

* * *

Dawn broke.
I rose from my chamber and performed my morning cultivation. Perhaps because the sea was nearby, the yin energy felt more abundant than usual.
Still, Hangzhou was where yin energy was most concentrated.
After all, it had not only the sea but a lake as well.
After finishing my morning cultivation, I descended from my chamber and began my training.
Since I didn’t want others to see me training, I decided to practice in my room while staying here.
Of course, physical conditioning was what I did most.
For me, physical conditioning was more important than wielding a sword, because as my cultivation advanced, my inner energy and physical strength had to remain in balance, or I would suffer complications later.
“Well then, shall I begin?”
Physical conditioning could be done anywhere within a room.
As long as one had the will for it.
Excuses like needing to train outside or lacking equipment were all just that—excuses.
One could do handstands on a chair and perform one-armed push-ups, or hang upside down from a beam and do sit-ups.
Of course, without using inner energy, it was grueling.
It felt like I might die from the strain.
Yet I couldn’t stop training because I refused to experience a pathetic death like in my previous life again due to insufficient martial skill.
My opponent was the Murim Alliance.
The center of the Central Plains martial world, a place possessing both martial might and wealth.
To stand against such a force, I too had to cultivate both.
Then the door to my guest room opened and Palgap entered.
“Gasp!”
Palgap was startled upon seeing me hanging upside down.
“Why are you so shocked?”
“Well, how could I not be startled seeing someone hanging upside down like that?”
“Haven’t you seen me train a time or two?”
“That may be true, but you know I have a weak heart, don’t you?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
I chuckled softly and descended gracefully from the beam.
“Have you finished your training?”
“I can finish now.”
“Then I shall bring water for washing and a towel.”
“Yes.”
I paused to catch my breath and recalled last night.
Jin Yu Warrior had returned in the dead of night and reported to me.

“I tracked the person you mentioned. He was from the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild. More precisely, he works at the Iron Tools Workshop.”
“The Iron Tools Workshop?”
“Yes. He appeared to be the night foreman there.”

The Iron Tools Workshop is the core of the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild.
In other words, the Baekcheon Trading Company is attempting something against the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild.
Could it be that Baekcheon Trading Company is trying to get involved in the iron tools business?
This never happened in my previous life.
.
.
.
I descended to the first floor of the Inn and had breakfast.
While I was drinking tea, the Shop Attendant approached us.
“Someone from the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild has arrived.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Shortly after, someone approached from behind. Judging by his clothing, he appeared to be a Deputy Officer.
“Are you the Eunhae Trading Company Master?”
“That’s right.”
In response to Father’s answer, he bowed respectfully with clasped fists.
“I greet the Merchant Guild Leader. I am the Deputy Officer of the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild Master. I have come to inform you of the location for this gathering.”
“I see. Where is the gathering to be held?”
“It is at the Iwharu, located near the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild. The gathering begins the day after tomorrow at the Hour of the Horse, between eleven and one o’clock.”
“I understand. Though I must say, it’s starting earlier than I expected.”
The Deputy Officer nodded and explained the reason.
“Since we cannot drink alcohol anyway due to the liquor ban, what benefit would there be in gathering late? So wouldn’t it be better to gather early and enjoy the delicacies of Shandong?”
“That’s true. I understand. Thank you for informing us.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
After the Deputy Officer departed, I spoke to Father.
“Then I shall step out for a while today.”
“Very well.”
.
.
.
Shortly after,
I headed to a tea house.
Once seated in a suitable spot, I ordered tea in advance and drank it.
Shandong Province is not particularly favorable for tea cultivation compared to regions near the Yangtze River.
Though high-quality tea does come from Mount Tai, the quantity is quite limited.
So typically, tea is brought in from other regions, primarily transported by boat.
It is an excellent location for ships to come and go.
Due to its geographical position being favorable for trade, it is one of the places where one can see many non-imperial citizens.
Trends also arrive here quickly.
It is said that more than half of the Empire’s trends originate from Shandong.
At that moment, I sensed a familiar presence, and soon a man entered the tea house.
A welcome face.

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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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