The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 394

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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 394

Chapter 394. There Was a Reason (1)

I asked carefully.
“Is that what the Palace Master was looking for?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I found it. Thank you.”
“That ring seems very precious to you.”
“Of course. It’s a keepsake my mother left behind.”
Ah….
Am I garbage for thinking it was a ring given by someone I admired? Damn it.
When did I lose my innocence?
I smiled bitterly.
To survive in this fierce Merchant Guild and achieve my revenge, I can’t remain pure.
But why did the Seolpung Palace Master have it in the first place?
As if answering my question, the Palace Master spoke.
“I once had cold qi penetrate deep into my bones. At that time, I ruthlessly eliminated anything that interfered with my cultivation.”
“….”
“If the Seolpung Palace Master hadn’t taken this, it would have disappeared as well. I realized later that I would regret it. The Seolpung Palace Master was… truly a wonderful friend.”
Now I understood what true friendship really was.
The Palace Master rose from her seat and approached us.
Then she clasped her fists toward Seo Hyang.
“Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad I could be of help.”
“It’s a shame you won’t become a disciple of the Ice Palace… but since you’ve chosen to stay by the Small Guild Master’s side, I can’t persuade you further.”
I spoke to the Palace Master.
“As I mentioned, I’ll depart tomorrow morning.”
“I won’t see you off. Travel safely.”
“Yes.”

We left the Palace Master’s quarters.
“This is the first time.”
“What do you mean?”
At Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master’s words, Seo Hyang and I looked at her.
“I’ve never seen the Palace Master make that kind of expression before.”
Indeed, even I could see she was genuinely happy to have found that ring.
“In any case, thank you so much for everything this time.”

The next day arrived.
We prepared to depart early in the morning.
“Then, farewell to you.”
“Travel safely.”
“Yes. Please take care of yourself as well, Grandmother.”
Jin-ho exchanged farewells with our relatives and the other disciples.
Then we passed through the Gate of Mist and arrived at the Ice Palace Inn.
The people at the inn had already finished their preparations for departure.
“Then, let us go.”
“Yes.”
And so we headed south once more.

* * *

Beijing.
The Ministers engaged in endless discussions regarding an unprecedented famine.
The matter at hand was none other than the procurement of grain from foreign lands.
While this might appear simple on the surface, for the Empire it was far more complex.
Financial concerns were troublesome, but the Empire’s prestige posed the greatest obstacle.
One misstep could result in the embarrassing spectacle of the Empire begging for food.
“Then perhaps through another nation….”
“Can we trust another nation?”
“There seems to be no elegant solution….”
“I propose this instead: we employ the Empire’s merchants to handle the matter.”
“How can we entrust a matter of state to lowly merchants….”
“Then perhaps you would prefer to lead envoys yourself and bow before them?”
“Ahem, yes, let us employ merchants.”
Thus, after lengthy deliberation, a conclusion was reached.
It unfolded exactly as Eun Seo-ho and Yong Eung-wan had foreseen.
Further discussions followed, and a concrete plan was formulated.
The Emperor reviewed it and granted his approval.
“Proceed with this plan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“By the way, that fellow has been quiet lately—what is he doing?”
The Eunuch quickly grasped whom the Emperor meant by ‘that fellow’ and responded.
“We received word that he recently headed toward the Northern Sea.”
“The Northern Sea?”
“Yes. Given that he was transporting considerable quantities of grain by cart, it appears to be guild business.”
“Remarkable—even in this famine, he moves with such vigor.”
“It seems he will return shortly. Shall I summon him?”
At the Eunuch’s words, the Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
“No, there’s no need for that. If we summon that fellow to the Imperial Palace while we’ve just announced a recruitment for merchant traders, it could invite unnecessary misunderstandings.”
“But Your Majesty’s sincerity is something he ought to understand.”
“Whether he understands or not doesn’t matter. As long as he does his job well, that’s all that counts.”

* * *

We arrived in Beijing.
“We’ve finally made it to Beijing!”
At my words, Jin-ho laughed and spoke.
“Just arriving in Beijing makes it feel warmer!”
Indeed, even Liaoning in the fourth month had been quite cold.
Of course, it wasn’t that I felt the cold—it was the others who were suffering from it.
“Were you alright?”
At Jin-ho’s question, I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Sigh, I should have learned the Ice Martial Sect techniques instead.”
“Your constitution is naturally suited to learning martial arts that cultivate yang energy.”
“True, that’s the case.”
I spoke to Ha Cheol Pyo-du.
“Let’s rest at the Beijing Branch for a while. I have some matters to attend to.”
I needed to handle the accumulated work.
As the saying goes, one must handle matters promptly to avoid suffering later.
As we headed toward the Beijing Branch, I noticed people gathered around a stone wall.
Hmm? What’s going on?
I instructed Palgap to find out what was happening, and he quickly rushed over and returned to report.
“There, the Imperial Palace has posted a notice.”
“The Imperial Palace?”
“Yes. They’re recruiting merchant guilds to participate in foreign trade.”
.
.
.
Shortly after.
When we arrived at the Beijing Branch, people were already waiting to greet us.
“Welcome. You must have had a difficult journey.”
I exchanged light greetings with the Branch Manager and broached the main topic.
“I saw the notice on the way here.”
“Ah, yes. You mean the notice regarding foreign trade.”
“When was that notice posted?”
“It was posted two days ago.”
Two days ago would not have been too late. But the announcement is already posted!
The pace of progress is faster than in my previous life.
Back then, the announcement didn’t come out until after May.
That’s why I was able to visit the Northern Sea Ice Palace without worry.
It seems like it’s because of my advice….
But no matter how much advice I gave, if someone hadn’t displayed such frenzied momentum, things couldn’t possibly be progressing this quickly….
Thinking that far, I let out a sigh.
Now that I think about it, there’s someone with excellent drive in the Imperial Palace. And unlike my previous life, thanks to me, there are talented people working diligently in the Imperial Palace.
“What’s the matter?”
At the Branch Manager’s concerned question, I shook my head.
“It’s nothing. Anyway, what’s the current situation?”
“Several merchant guilds are already making moves to apply. But as you know, applicants must own a ship….”
“So there won’t be that many applicants.”

I ordered the others to rest, then with Palgap’s help, I washed and changed clothes before heading straight to the office.
And I drafted a letter to send to Father.
I needed to know the exact progress of the current situation.
The letter I wrote was sent to Father through Geumryeong.
“Small Guild Master, it’s Gwak Vice-Manager.”
“Come in.”
The door opened and Seo Hyang entered.
“You’re working without rest even while you’re here.”
“Sigh, there’s no help for it. This is my work, after all.”
“I came to see if there’s anything I can help with.”
“You can rest. There isn’t that much work piled up.”
At my words, Seo Hyang pointed to the documents stacked beside me and asked.
“Aren’t those supposed to be processed today?”
“….”
Ah, I had forgotten about that.
“Please… help me.”
.
.
.
The next morning.
When I finished my morning cultivation after waking, Geumryeong returned with a letter.

[Glad you returned safely, and the household and guild are at peace. Two large merchant vessels have been constructed and test operations are complete. So there was a reason you urged me to hurry. When I said I’d pay workers in grain instead of money, laborers flocked endlessly, allowing us to complete the ship construction quickly.]

This is the news I’ve been waiting for.
Still, the idea of paying tribute in grain is truly ingenious.
Well, grain is difficult to obtain even with money these days.
Our Eun Hae Trading Company qualifies as well, given that we have ships.
I immediately unrolled a sheet of paper, filled out an application, and called for Palgap.
“You called for me?”
“Submit this to the Imperial Palace.”
“Understood.”
Palgap tilted his head as he watched Geumryeong licking silver coins on my wooden table.
“By the way, that creature consumes so much money, yet its size remains unchanged.”
“That’s why it must be a spirit creature.”
At that moment, Geumryeong’s and Palgap’s eyes met, and an intense staring contest erupted between them.
“Ahem, Palgap.”
“Gasp! This beast! It was terrifying! I found myself drawn into a staring contest without realizing it!”
“…Go quickly and return.”
“Understood.”
Palgap left my office, and I picked up the silver coins Geumryeong was holding.
Geumryeong refused to let go of the coins and dangled from my hand.
Geumryeong’s attachment to its silver coins is remarkably strong.
The staring contest just now likely meant, “Don’t covet my silver coins.”
For Palgap, it meant, “You’re challenging me.”
It was merely a pointless staring contest born from mutual misunderstanding.
Still, Palgap is impressive.
Just now, when Geumryeong unleashed an aura during the staring contest that made even the White Blood Pressure Beasts flee, Palgap showed barely any reaction.
I placed Geumryeong into my sleeve and rose from my seat.
Now I need to meet with Jin-ho.

I headed toward the Training Ground.
At this hour, there was only one place Jin-ho Elder Brother would be.
As I expected, Jin-ho Elder Brother was diligently wielding his spear in the Training Ground.
“Hah! Hah!”
Whoosh—! Whoosh!
The sound of the spear shaft cutting through the air rang out vibrantly. At this, Seo-woo Warrior, who stood behind me as my escort, spoke.
“His movements have become considerably more refined compared to before.”
“I agree. What is his current record against you, Seo-woo Warrior?”
“Probably twenty-five victories and twenty-three defeats, I’d estimate.”
Of course, that was from Jin-ho Elder Brother’s perspective.
“Still, he’s won twice?”
“When he won the first time, he deliberately exhausted my stamina.”
I already knew about this from the combat review reports I’d read.
“But I don’t fall for the same trick twice.”
I smiled and approached Jin-ho Elder Brother.
“Elder Brother!”
When I called out to him, he set down his spear and greeted me warmly.
“Perfect timing! Let’s spar! This time, I won’t go down as pathetically as last time.”
“My body isn’t warmed up yet. I just woke up and came straight here. Besides, it’s almost time for breakfast.”
I told him.
“I came because I have something to tell you.”
“Something for me?”
I nodded.
“This time, my companions and I won’t be returning to Hubei Province together.”
“What? Why all of a sudden?”
I explained kindly to his question.
“You know how the Imperial Palace is recruiting merchant guilds to conduct foreign trade. The Eunhae Trading Company applied as well. So we need someone to stay here, monitor the situation, and handle the business.”
“Ah, I see.”
Jin-ho Elder Brother scratched the back of his neck and replied.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“I trust that you’ll be able to safely lead everyone back to the Main Headquarters. And all the training you’ve done so far has been for this.”
I continued.
“And from now on, you don’t need to submit those combat review reports to me anymore.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Hehehehe! Finally, freedom!”
Wait, isn’t he a bit too happy about this?
I felt a petty irritation rising.
But I just laughed it off. I’m a good younger brother, after all.

A few days later,
Ha Cheol Pyo-du and the people of the Changin Escort Agency, along with Jin-ho Elder Brother and his group, departed from the Beijing Branch.
I made a request to Ha Pyo-du.
I asked him to pass along a message that if Master happened to come to Beijing in the near future, he should stop by the Beijing Branch.
I wanted to give Master the item his father had left behind as soon as possible, but it seemed I wouldn’t be able to return to Hubei for some time.
And as for me, remaining in Beijing….
What else would I do? I had work to attend to.
With summer approaching, I needed to inspect the cooling devices as well.
And I had to review new merchandise proposals.
Ah….
I recalled the contents of the letter my father had sent. Certainly, at the end of the letter, there was this message.

[Your aunt’s birthday is coming up soon. I would appreciate it if you would convey my congratulations on my behalf.]

I needed to go buy a gift.
I turned my head and spoke to Seo Hyang, who was handling documents beside me.
“Would you help me with something?”
“Yes?”
“It’s my aunt’s birthday. I need to choose a gift, and I was hoping you could help me select one.”

Shortly after, I went to the marketplace with Seo Hyang.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be much help.”
“Still, as a woman yourself, you’ll likely be better at choosing a gift than I would be.”
“What kind of gift were you thinking of?”
“I was considering ornamental hairpins and accessories.”
We headed to a shop that sold women’s ornaments, and there we carefully selected an accessory.
Seon-mi couldn’t come as she was away elsewhere following her husband, so I thought to bring Seo Hyang along to at least have someone to talk with.
Seon-il Elder Brother wasn’t particularly warm by nature.
It was fortunate enough that he wasn’t as pessimistic and cynical as in his previous life.
Yet his heart was still warm.
That’s why he had asked for my help during Seon-mi’s wedding back then.
Then, I saw someone that made me doubt my own eyes.
That tall young man selecting ornaments in the shop selling ornaments….
It was unmistakably Seon-il Elder Brother.
I thought he must have come to buy a gift for my aunt as well, but then I paused.
But why was he buying two necklaces?

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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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