The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 375

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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 375

Chapter 375. The Lesser Palace Mistress (2)

At those words, everyone’s gaze turned toward the Dharma Protector.
“You oppose it?”
The Lord asked, and the Dharma Protector nodded.
“Yes, that is correct.”
“What is your reason? Jeon Il Pyo-du.”
That’s right. The Dharma Protector’s name was Jeon Il.
“To be frank, is Eun Seo-ho not an outsider? An outsider becoming the Lesser Palace Mistress of our Seolpung Palace! The late Palace Master would surely lament this.”
“Well…”
I spoke carefully.
“I am also a disciple of Seolpung Palace. Does that not mean I cannot be called an outsider?”
“By outsider, I mean one who does not carry the blood of the Palace Master. As you know, the Lesser Palace Mistress must be of the Palace Master’s bloodline—this is a law passed down from the Ancestor.”
Ah, that’s not it.
That’s incorrect.
The Ancestor said that the position of Palace Master is not inherited through bloodline.
But even if I said so, there was no way he would believe my words.
“Out of curiosity, do you have records related to that?”
“Everything of Seolpung Palace turned to ash—there is no way such records could remain.”
“Then, has anyone actually seen such records?”
At my question, the Dharma Protectors looked at one another and shook their heads.
“I’m not sure. Were there such records?”
“I never saw them. Did you?”
“I also…”
Then my Master spoke.
“We have proceeded as such until now, but in truth, no such records exist.”
“…”
My Master settled the matter cleanly.
“Do you have any other objections?”
At my Master’s question, the other Dharma Protectors shook their heads.
But Jeon Il Pyo-du still did not relent.
“My reasons for opposing are not limited to that. We have not witnessed his qualifications.”
Ha Cheol Pyo-du spoke with frustration.
“Have you not heard of the deeds Eun Seo-ho has accomplished thus far? Moreover, he is one who has earned the title Seon Hyeop Mi-rang!”
“Martial prowess is what matters in Seolpung Palace! I cannot acknowledge him until I personally witness his martial abilities.”
Jeon Il Pyo-du turned his head to look at my Master as he spoke.
“Please, I beg you to understand the sincerity of this Dharma Protector.”
“What is it that you wish me to do?”
“That is….”
“Wait a moment, Jeon Il Pyo-du.”
I interjected with a smile.
“Why don’t we have a martial match? Just you and me.”
“W-why me?”
“Well, didn’t you say you wanted to verify my martial prowess? The best way to confirm it yourself is through direct confrontation, is it not?”
Everyone nodded at my words.
“That’s true.”
“He has a point.”
I turned to my Master.
“So please, grant me permission.”
My Master nodded at my request.
“I grant it.”
.
.
.
A short while later.
I had infiltrated Jeon Il Pyo-du’s office.
The Changin Escort Agency provided each Pyo-du with a personal office for their use.
The reason I could infiltrate this place now was because Jeon Il Pyo-du was with Ha Cheol Pyo-du elsewhere.
After the meeting ended, I had quietly asked Ha Cheol Pyo-du to spend just half an hour away with Jeon Il Pyo-du.
The reason I went to such lengths was to find evidence to drive him out.
That’s why I deliberately postponed the martial match to tomorrow.
I found it strange that Jeon Il Pyo-du so desperately opposed me becoming the Lesser Palace Mistress.
Everyone else accepted it readily, so why was he so resistant?
Moreover, there was an anxiousness I could sense in his expression.
And an unsettling feeling emanating from him.
That meant he had something to hide—something that would expose him.
I recalled events from my past life that had occurred at the Changin Escort Agency.
And among those memories, I found one crucial clue.

“Young Master, did you hear about that?”
“What?”
“They say one of the Pyo-dus at the Changin Escort Agency embezzled a massive sum. Apparently it reached as much as one thousand gold taels.”
“Really? That’s quite a haul. But how did no one notice until the embezzlement reached that scale? Honestly, an escort agency isn’t exactly known for being loose with their accounting, is it?”
“Young Master, that’s precisely why the saying goes: ‘You get stabbed in the foot by the axe you trust, and cut by the knife you rely on.'”
“True enough… There are always people who betray trust, no matter where you go.”

That happened about ten years before my death.
So I hadn’t thought about it, but I remembered that Jeon Il Pyo-du hadn’t been seen since then.
That’s why I decided to investigate like this.
Looking at his behavior, there’s definitely something suspicious.
And I proposed the martial arts match to buy myself time.
It wasn’t to actually conduct a martial arts match.
I began carefully examining the Office.
And people like this always hide their embezzled goods in predictable places.
As I scrutinized the locations I had in mind, I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle.
“Here it is.”
What I found was beneath the West Street bookshelf.
On the floor, a long line had been drawn horizontally.
That was the clue.
I pushed the West Street bookshelf to the side.
Scrape.
The bookshelf slid sideways. The marks on the floor aligned perfectly with the bookshelf.
Behind the bookshelf was a small hidden compartment.
I reached into the compartment and pulled out the books inside.
As I opened them, I let out a second dry chuckle.
Jackpot.

* * *

Jeon Il finished his conversation with Ha Cheol and returned to his office.
He had wanted to go directly to his office, but Ha Cheol had kept him detained, preventing him from returning immediately.
Ha Cheol had passionately argued in his office that Eun Seo-ho should be recognized as the Lesser Palace Mistress.
Yes, I understood.
If Eun Seo-ho became the Lesser Palace Mistress, the reconstruction of Seolpung Palace would accelerate.
That was precisely why Eun Seo-ho could not become the Lesser Palace Mistress. If he did, the legitimacy of everything I had done until now would vanish.
After completing his work, he opened the window.
Night had fallen, and darkness now enveloped everything.
Surveying the surroundings through the window, he confirmed no one was nearby before closing it.
He moved toward the bookshelf on one side of his office and opened it.
Inside lay a portion of what he had accumulated thus far, along with a ledger documenting the inventory.
In truth, it would be safer not to keep such records, but he had created the ledger because he could not remember how much wealth he had embezzled or where he had hidden it.
He had siphoned off such enormous sums and scattered them in hiding places throughout the region.
It had been long since Seolpung Palace was annihilated.
Though it still endured, his situation was no different from a candle flickering before the wind.
I did not wish to disappear along with Seolpung Palace.
The reconstruction of Seolpung Palace was not my goal.
My goal was to live well and prosper for myself.
‘The reconstruction of Seolpung Palace is merely a delusion.’
Therefore, soon enough, once the target amount was gathered, I intended to abandon this hopeless Seolpung Palace without hesitation.
That was why Eun Seo-ho could not become the Lesser Palace Mistress of Seolpung Palace.
He was a figure connected to the Merchant Guild, and he was renowned for his keen intellect.
The Pyo Bureau was also an organization entangled with the Merchant Guild, but since its primary operations centered on escort and transport services, its core personnel consisted of warriors.
This meant it could not manage finances with the meticulous detail of a merchant guild.
If Eun Seo-ho became the Lesser Palace Mistress and examined the ledgers, my embezzlement could be exposed.
“Therefore… no matter what happens tomorrow, I must crush that bastard Eun Seo-ho. If that proves impossible, I’ll have to sever an arm or a leg.”
He muttered with a sinister expression before returning the bookshelf to its original state.
Then he extinguished the candle and left his office.
Moments later, a figure silently dropped from the ceiling.
His cold gaze gleamed in the darkness.

* * *

Late into the night, I slipped away from the banquet hall and made my way covertly to Jeon Il Pyo-du’s office.
After I had verified the ledgers earlier, he would certainly have returned and checked them himself.
He must have been anxious.
Those who commit fraud tend to become obsessed with evidence of their wrongdoing the more uneasy they grow.
As expected, there were traces that he had examined the ledgers.
Now, should I retrieve the ledgers?
Jeon Il Pyo-du would never suspect they had vanished.
Though I had reached the pinnacle of martial mastery, moving about secretly within the Changin Escort Agency was no simple task.
There were those here whose cultivation surpassed my own.
That is why I decided to host the banquet.
At this very moment, Master and the others are enjoying the feast I have prepared.
Jeon Il Pyo-du is not attending and rests alone instead.
Indeed, one who opposes my ascension to Lesser Palace Mistress could hardly attend a banquet I am hosting.
Even if Master were to discover me moving about secretly, he would understand my intentions.
Yet such revelations are most effective when they come as a complete surprise to all.
Should I return to the banquet hall now?
The host’s prolonged absence would be not only discourteous but also suspicious.

The next day.
I arrived at the Changin Escort Agency.
“I am troubled, Young Master.”
At Palgap’s words, I laughed and waved my hand dismissively.
“There is no need to worry about me. I cannot lose.”
At my words, the guard warriors nodded their heads.
Upon hearing that I would engage in martial combat, all six of my guard warriors followed me here.
“No, that is not what I meant, Young Master.”
Palgap continued.
“I speak of your opponent in the martial bout—the former Pyo-du.”
“Hmm? Not me?”
“Then why would I worry about you, Young Master? You are not one to take on a fight you cannot win.”
“Well, I, I suppose that is true, but…”
“What concerns me is whether he might harbor resentment toward you.”
“Would he even have the presence of mind for such things?”
“Sir?”
“Never mind.”
I followed Ha Cheol Pyo-du, who had been waiting for me, toward the training grounds.
These were the same training grounds I had visited before.
Already, countless spectators surrounded the arena.
They were all disciples of Seolpung Palace.
Should their affiliation with Seolpung Palace be discovered, it would prove troublesome, so they kept it secret.
So they will keep secrets about me as well.
And on one side stood my Master and the other Dharma Protectors.
“Then, we shall begin the martial arts match now. Both sides, come forward.”
At Ha Cheol Pyo-du’s words, Jeon Il Pyo-du and I faced each other in the Training Ground.
Jeon Il Pyo-du spoke first.
“If you concede even now, we can pretend this match never happened.”
“I appreciate your instruction.”
“So you have no intention of backing down.”
“That’s correct.”
Jeon Il Pyo-du said this because he was unaware of my cultivation level.
The Seo-woo Warrior had said so.
One could only discern my cultivation level by witnessing me use martial arts.
Certainly, even Namgung Kang had not detected my level when he saw me.
Wait.
But my Master recognized it immediately upon seeing me, didn’t he?
At my Master’s level, is something different?
In any case, my Master seemed not to have revealed my cultivation level to others.
I was grateful for that.
Anyway, Pyo-du, I apologize, but I don’t think I’ll be crossing swords with you today.
I spoke to Jeon Il Pyo-du.
“But Pyo-du, why do you oppose me becoming the Lesser Palace Mistress so strongly?”
“Well, naturally….”
“I mean the real reason, not that I’m not my Master’s direct disciple or that my martial arts are unreliable.”
At my words, he flinched.
“What are you talking about? There is no other reason!”
“I know the real reason. If it’s difficult for you to say, I’ll tell you.”
I smiled coldly.
“You’re afraid it will be discovered that you’ve been embezzling Seolpung Palace’s funds all this time, aren’t you? If I become the Lesser Palace Mistress, I’ll inspect the ledgers, and then it will be exposed.”
At my words, he erupted.
“Where do you get off slandering me? Shut that mouth of yours!”
Another Dharma Protector spoke from the side.
“You shouldn’t make such accusations without evidence.”
“Embezzlement! Ha, Jeon Il Pyo-du could never do such a thing.”
Sigh.
Such naive people.
That’s precisely why Jeon Il Pyo-du was able to embezzle for so long.
And that’s how they got stabbed in the back so thoroughly.
My Master, who had been watching us silently, finally spoke.
“Small Guild Master.”
“Yes, Master.”
“The Small Guild Master I know would never make such a definitive statement about something uncertain.”
“As expected of my Master. You know me well.”
I chuckled and pulled a ledger from my robes.
“What is that?”
“Ah, this is an account book. It contains records of everything Jeon Il Pyo-du has been embezzling all this time.”
At my words, his complexion turned ashen, and he asked in a trembling voice.
“That, that is proof of my misconduct… what proof is that?”
“The handwriting is Pyo-du’s, is it not?”
“Ha, handwriting can be imitated. Frankly, who would know? It could be a forgery you created to frame me.”
Besides, even though I’m not yet the Lesser Palace Mistress, I’m still officially a Small Guild Master of a business partner, yet he speaks to me so rudely.
“You created this to oppose my becoming Lesser Palace Mistress. To eliminate me!”
“Well, think what you will.”
I laughed softly.
“So then, this ledger is not Jeon Il Pyo-du’s, is that what you’re saying?”
“No! It couldn’t possibly be mine!”
“Then this ledger is something I fabricated to frame Jeon Il Pyo-du, correct?”
“Of course!”
“Hmm, let me see… fifty taels of silver hidden in the rocky terrain of Back Mountain in Chongyang County, a golden Buddha hidden beneath the pine tree beside it, five gold ingots invested in Seoga’s Aeyaeng Tower… and there’s so much more besides. You’re saying all of this belongs to me?”
“….”

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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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