The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 387

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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 387

Chapter 387. The Ghost Marketplace (6)

Cho Seok’s face paled at the Warrior’s report.
“What? You’re saying… there’s no such person?”
“That’s correct.”
He had clearly been told to contact that location if anything went wrong, so he had done exactly that.
What came back was news as sudden and devastating as a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Which meant one thing: he alone would have to protect himself.
“…Find out immediately if you can obtain Bing Ryeon Sil, Seol Sam, Seol Mae Sil, Bing Ru Mae, and Sang Yeop Cho.”
“Pardon? What are those for?”
“Just find them! You’re being paid enough—do your job!”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
The mercenaries he had hired scattered throughout Liaoning and began their inquiries.
Fortunately, since Liaoning lay close to the Northern Sea, the chances of acquiring such yin-attributed medicinal herbs were relatively high.
And around noon that very day, good news arrived.
“It appears the Lesser Palace Mistress of the Northern Sea Ice Palace has come to Liaoning with those exact herbs.”
He exhaled in relief, yet his brow furrowed simultaneously.
Of all people, he would have to meet with the Lesser Palace Mistress of the Northern Sea Ice Palace—the very faction he despised.
But his life mattered far more than his hatred.
Even now, recalling the bone-piercing agony he had endured made cold sweat bead on his skin.
That he dared not even dream of fleeing was because he too had heard the fearsome reputation of the Ghost Marketplace.
“Contact that Lesser Palace Mistress immediately. Tell her I’ll buy those herbs.”

* * *

Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, quietly relocated to a nearby inn according to my plan.
For this plan to succeed, it was better that her presence at the Gwangjun Trading Company remain unknown.
While I was having breakfast at the inn, a group dressed in martial robes arrived.
They were the Northern Sea Ice Palace disciples I had summoned.
“We greet the Young Palace Master!”
Upon seeing Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, they quickly clasped their fists in respectful salute.
“Have you eaten?”
“We had some dried rations on the way. Fortunately, we still have a little left….”
Their complexions were uniformly gaunt, vividly revealing the Northern Sea Ice Palace’s material shortage.
I spoke to them.
“Will dried rations suffice? Shouldn’t you have a proper meal?”
I ordered warm rice porridge for them.
“But, but….”
“How could we alone….”
As if they couldn’t bear to eat something delicious when their Northern Sea Ice Palace companions were going hungry.
“If you don’t wish to interfere with our work, you must eat.”
“Pardon?”
“Would you inform our enemies of the palace’s circumstances?”
At Bing Haerin’s words, they seemed to understand something and nodded.
“Understood.”
“We shall obey your command.”
I wanted nothing more than to feed them hearty meat, but in their current starved state, consuming anything greasy would almost certainly cause illness.
That couldn’t happen, so I ordered porridge instead.
And I decided to rent out the entire inn for the Ice Palace people.
Since there were few guests at the time, I sought their understanding.
When I offered double the usual inn fee, they readily moved to a nearby inn.
After letting them rest, I waited on the first floor of the inn, sipping tea.
That’s when Palgap entered the inn.
“Young Master, Second Sub-leader is asking when you’ll depart.”
“Ah, we’ll leave within two days.”
Jin-ho must be anxious to return, worried about Mother-in-law and Elder Brother’s Wife’s aunts.
But this matter was more pressing than that.
Though they were only going slightly hungry now, if I couldn’t prevent this, the Northern Sea Ice Palace would starve to death.

That afternoon.
A warrior visited the inn where Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, was staying.
“The person I serve wishes to purchase those elixirs.”
Bing Haerin answered as I had instructed.
“Then tell him to come here directly this evening.”
“Understood.”
The big fish had taken the bait.
After he left and I approached Bing Haerin, she asked me a question.
“Is the Merchant an underling of someone scheming against the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
“Just a simple ronin.”
“Is that so?”
“Remember what I told you? When he comes to trade, I’d appreciate it if you could exude an overwhelming sense of pressure.”
“Ah, that won’t be difficult.”
She smiled as she spoke.
“I’m already itching to tear apart whoever dared do this to our palace.”

Evening fell.
And a well-dressed man arrived at the inn with several warriors.
“I’ve come to trade for the elixirs.”
At those words, one of the Northern Sea Ice Palace disciples spoke to him.
“Please come this way. The Young Palace Master will be with you shortly.”
He took a seat at one of the dining tables on the first floor of the inn. I watched from a distance, concealed in the shadows.
The description Bok Yun Sub-leader provided was quite accurate.
This Merchant is the one who orchestrated this entire affair.
But… why do I sense the aura of the Black Path emanating from him?
He doesn’t seem to have trained in martial arts.
After a moment’s consideration, the reason became clear.
There’s someone else behind the Merchant, someone who supported him. That’s how he obtained the counterfeit elixirs.
And the aura I’m sensing now must be something he picked up from that person.
So it’s certain—this scheme to ruin the Northern Sea Ice Palace was deliberately orchestrated by someone above him.
The man called Cho’s discomfort was becoming increasingly evident on his face.
And no wonder, for more than an hour had already passed since he arrived, yet Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, had not appeared.
I had ordered it that way.
To make it abundantly clear who held the power here.
Only after a considerable time did Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, finally descend the stairs.
And she approached him.
“Are you the one who wishes to purchase the elixirs?”
“Ahem, yes. But isn’t this rather discourteous? Why do you keep your guest waiting like this?”
In that instant, the temperature inside the inn plummeted dramatically.
“A guest?”
“….”
“That person came to purchase medicinal herbs, not as a customer, did they?”
“But….”
“And the Northern Sea Ice Palace does not wait for anyone.”
Arrogant words, perhaps, but true nonetheless.
Among all the martial sects, the Northern Sea Ice Palace ranked among the most formidable as a singular force.
Yet it was paradoxical that such a power should face difficulties over provisions.
“Ah, I understand. My apologies. Ahem, ahem.”
Trembling beneath her commanding presence, he finally backed down.
I couldn’t fathom why he’d even raised the point when he stood to gain nothing.
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, spoke.
“The medicinal herbs I’ve prepared are Bing Lian Shi, Xue San, Xue Mei Shi, Bing Lu Mei, and Shang Ye Chu. Shall we begin with Bing Lian Shi?”
I sent her a silent transmission.
– Demand six thousand silver taels.
In response to my transmission, she spoke aloud.
“Six thousand silver taels.”
“Gasp! Is it truly so expensive?”
“If you dislike it, you may withdraw. There are many others seeking these herbs.”
“Ah, no, that is….”
Now it was time for me to make my entrance.
I slipped outside, then burst through the door as though I’d been rushing.
“Huff, huff, I heard medicinal herbs were available here.”
A Disciple Attendant naturally greeted me.
“You must be the one who contacted us about a transaction.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Please wait a moment. Another patron is currently conducting a transaction….”
I asked then.
“What varieties of medicinal herbs do you currently have?”
“Bing Lian Shi, Xue San, Xue Mei Shi, Bing Lu Mei, and Shang Ye Chu.”
My eyes gleamed as I exclaimed.
“I’ll purchase all of those for twenty thousand silver taels!”
At my words, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, smiled and spoke.
“Twenty thousand taels, you say?”
“Yes. They’re certainly worth that much.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, looked at Cho and asked.
“This gentleman wishes to purchase them all for twenty thousand silver taels. What will you do?”
He bit his lip, then took issue with me.
“How dare you rudely interrupt another’s transaction?”
“Isn’t it far ruder for the seller to rob themselves of the opportunity to receive a higher price?”
“What?”
“And I don’t know anything about that. In any case, I’ll purchase all of those items for twenty thousand silver taels.”
By this point, he must be sweating profusely.
It wasn’t about the money—if he couldn’t take those items with him, something terrible would happen to him.
“Twenty-two thousand silver taels! I’ll buy all of them for twenty-two thousand silver taels!”
“I’ll purchase them for twenty-two thousand silver taels.”
“Twenty-five thousand silver taels!”
“Gasp….”
I needed to stop here.
“Damn it!”
I slammed my fist on the table with an expression of frustration. Watching me, he laughed with genuine amusement.
“The young man certainly has spirit, but it seems it wasn’t enough.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, spoke.
“Then we’ll transfer them at twenty-five thousand taels. Please settle the payment first.”
“Before that, might I examine the spirit elixirs?”
“By all means.”
At her signal to the Disciple Attendant, the attendant descended from above carrying the spirit elixirs.
And placed them on the table.
“Please, take a look. However….”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, emanated killing intent toward him.
“Examining those spirit elixirs means you don’t trust the Northern Sea Ice Palace, doesn’t it?”
“Gasp! Ah, no, that’s not it….”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master’s killing intent carried the bitter chill of the Northern Sea wind itself.
He trembled violently, unable to form coherent words.
Watching him, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, spoke coldly.
“In fact, we suffered a most unpleasant incident previously. Counterfeit spirit elixirs from the Northern Sea Ice Palace! Whoever attempted to defraud us will be captured and….”
The horrifying words that spilled from her lips.
Cho, the actual culprit, had gone completely pale and was trembling uncontrollably. He’d executed the plan, but fear was getting the better of him.
“So, do you still wish to examine them further?”
“Ah, no, I don’t.”
The Merchant’s intentions were transparent.
He’d clearly been planning to nitpick over trivial details to negotiate the price down.
But could anyone truly do that after receiving such killing intent?
“Then provide the payment.”
“The payment… I’ll write a promissory note.”
He produced a promissory note. A Yugi-name note.
At this, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, handed it to her disciples and instructed them.
“Go to the money exchange immediately and convert these into cash.”
“Understood.”
Even in Liaoning, there was a branch of the Geumsan Money Exchange, and as this was a fairly large town, they would have sufficient funds available.
An hour later,
The Disciple Attendants brought in large boxes.
“We’ve exchanged them for silver.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, opened the boxes herself and examined the silver coins inside.
“Excellent.”
She packed the spirit elixirs into a box and handed it to him.
“Now this belongs to you. A fine transaction.”
“Y-yes, a fine transaction… it was.”
With that, he staggered out of the inn. Seeing the actual silver he’d given to Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, he must have been worried about what came next.
It was likely nearly his entire fortune as a Merchant.
Remarkably, I’d won all of it at the auction for just over ten thousand silver coins, yet sold it for twenty-five thousand—it seemed I was born to be a merchant after all.
I let out a deep sigh and followed him out.
“I’m envious.”
“…There’s nothing to envy. This is a matter of my life, so I couldn’t back down either.”
“Ah, are you perhaps that person?”
“Hmm?”
“There were rumors about that Merchant—that someone tried to swindle the owner of the Ghost Marketplace and got caught.”
“S-swindle? There was simply a small misunderstanding.”
“In any case, stay strong. I have an Old Friend here in Liaoning, so I know well—if you fall out of favor with that person, it’s truly a disaster.”
“I-is that so?”
“Ah, I apologize for intruding on your transaction earlier.”
“So you needed spirit elixirs as well.”
“Yes. Someone was looking for them, and I thought I’d make a small profit in the middle, but it couldn’t be helped.”
I continued speaking.
“Take care of yourself.”
And I walked forward without looking back, as if going my own way.
Then I sent a telepathic message to Jin Yu Warrior.
– Are you leaving now?
– Yes. I’m on my way.
– Then let’s move to the next operation.
– Understood.

We put on the goblin masks that Palgap had made and dressed in red clothing.
Palgap really did have excellent craftsmanship.

* * *

Cho Seok exhaled a long sigh.
“Damn it, I must be insane. Twenty-five thousand silver taels for this….”
Since he’d essentially wagered nearly his entire fortune, the sting cut all the deeper.
But there was no helping it.
He had to save his life first.
By some cruel twist of fate, it was the Northern Sea Ice Palace that had driven his already ruined household into complete destitution.
Though truthfully, he’d brought it upon himself.
Then figures in crimson robes and goblin masks appeared.
“We’ve come to collect the merchandise as promised.”
“Y-yes, it’s here.”
But something felt wrong.
The clothing and atmosphere seemed right, yet they wore goblin masks.
“But why are you wearing goblin masks now?”
“It’s nighttime. If it were day, we would have come as we did before.”
“…I see.”
“Judging by how quickly you produced it, the pain of tearing out your very bones must have been quite enjoyable.”
They knew that too! These were definitely the ones who’d visited earlier.
“Hand over the merchandise.”
“Here it is.”
They took the item and examined it.
“Don’t deceive us next time.”
“Yes.”
By the time he lifted his head from his bow, they had already vanished.
That wasn’t all.
The two warriors who had accompanied him as his guard had also disappeared.
Returning to his quarters in a daze as if possessed by spirits, the Auction Director was waiting for him.
“Where’s the merchandise?”
“Didn’t those masked figures just take the elixirs?”
“Are you still half-asleep?”
“N-no, I definitely gave it to those wearing goblin masks just now. You all saw….”
But the two mercenary warriors who could have testified were nowhere to be found.
He understood then. He had been deceived.
As if bewitched by goblins themselves.
But one thing was certain. He was truly ruined.

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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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