The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 439

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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 Eun Hae Trading Company Chapter 439

Chapter 439. The Unexpected (2)

I stopped walking at Geumryeong’s sudden reaction and asked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Why? What’s the matter?”
At my words, Geumryeong emerged from my sleeve, glancing around nervously while wiggling his hindquarters.
He looked incredibly excited.
From what I knew, Geumryeong rarely became this animated unless…
No, that couldn’t be right.
In my previous life, I had searched this place so thoroughly, yet found nothing.
But when it came to accuracy in matters like this, Geumryeong was more reliable than anyone.
If that’s the case, it’s worth investigating.
We have time, after all.
“Is there treasure here or something?”
At my question, Geumryeong nodded eagerly and wagged his tail, beckoning me to follow.
Geumryeong waddled ahead, guiding the way.
There was no need to worry about triggering any mechanism formations.
As far as I knew, the only mechanism formation in this area was the Night Luminous Pearl above.
Of course, the Night Luminous Pearl itself was genuine, but it wasn’t the device that activated the mechanism formation.
The ornamental casing surrounding the Night Luminous Pearl was the actual device.
The second entrance I had used was essentially the exit of the entrance that the warriors had been guarding.
Now, imagine this scenario.
Darkness so complete that you cannot see an inch ahead.
Those who entered seeking sudden fortune or fortuitous encounters were met only with cruel traps.
Having lost comrades and family to these traps, they barely made it to this exit.
Here, unlike other places, they confirm there are no traps threatening their lives.
Only then do they sigh with relief and lie down on the ground to rest, but the thought of returning empty-handed without gaining anything fills them with despair.
Especially for the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect—didn’t they say failure meant atoning with death?
Then, in the darkness, the brightly glowing Night Luminous Pearl becomes visible.
Wouldn’t the thought arise to take at least that Night Luminous Pearl with them?
Contrary to the Blood Kun Saint Sage’s intentions, another battle erupted over that Night Luminous Pearl at the time.
In any case, someone touched the ornamental casing surrounding the Night Luminous Pearl, and thus the mechanism formation was activated.
The mechanism formation did not produce traps; instead, it simply exploded moments later.
It was utterly devastating.
The casualties from this were far greater than all the previous losses combined.
Perhaps if they had quietly left through the exit without touching the Night Luminous Pearl, they would have survived.
In any case, I intend to use that Night Luminous Pearl to detonate this Sword Tower.
And even now, I’m reaping the benefits of that Night Luminous Pearl.
The surroundings were illuminated brilliantly, making everything visible.
It was an exceptionally large Night Luminous Pearl of considerable grade.
Soon, Geumryeong stopped walking and pointed to a specific spot with his front paw.
“Here?”
Geumryeong nodded.
The junction where one wall met the floor.
I drew a dagger from my sleeve and tapped that spot experimentally.
Crumble.
The earthen wall crumbled away, revealing a new stone wall beneath it.
There’s definitely something inside this…
As I gradually broke away the surrounding earthen wall, a hollow space became visible.
A space roughly one foot on each side.
Tap.
When I inserted the dagger into that space, it struck something hard.
“There’s something here.”
“Allow me to retrieve it.”
Seo-woo Warrior bent down and extracted the object.
What emerged was a black iron box.
I could sense both Seo-woo Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior tensing at the sight.
“My lord, if you’ll permit me, I should open it to be safe.”
“It’s fine. I’ll open it myself.”
As I carefully opened the box, inside lay something wrapped in cloth and ten golden ingots of yellowish hue.
So there really was something hidden here?
I first picked up the cloth bundle and examined it carefully. My instincts told me this was the more important item.
As I unfolded the cloth, a book emerged.

[Disciple Attendant Hyejin Presents to Shaolin Temple]

Meaning that Disciple Attendant Hyejin is presenting this to Shaolin.
Now that I think about it, wasn’t the dharma name of the Blood Kun Saint Sage Hyejin?
If so, is this something the Blood Kun Saint Sage left behind for Shaolin Temple?
The book appeared to be made of fine materials, still not particularly aged.
And attached to the book was a letter.
The outer envelope read [To Whoever Discovers This]. So this was a letter left for whoever found it?
I carefully unfolded the letter.

[Yeon, if you’ve discovered this, then my earnest prayer has reached you.
This is a book containing my heart of atonement.
Please deliver it to Shaolin Temple.
The gold enclosed is payment for this. I’m uncertain if it will suffice, but I would be grateful if you would grant this old monk’s request.]

A book containing a heart of atonement?
I stopped myself from opening the book.
If I opened it now, I felt I would remain here endlessly.
But why was there no mention of this in my previous life?
Was it never discovered, or did someone find it and keep it for themselves?
I cannot know that now, but what is certain is that I must deliver this to Shaolin Temple.
To obtain this gold, I need to fulfill the Elder Senior Brother’s request.
I now had a reason to visit Shaolin Temple.
I placed it in the Secret Vault and rose to my feet. Then I spoke to Seo-woo Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior.
“Well then, let’s leave this place.”
Geumryeong gazed at me with bright, gleaming eyes. It meant he wanted me to give him a piece of meat as a reward for finding something good.
“Not now. I’ll give you some later.”
“Squeak!”
Geumryeong obediently slipped into my sleeve, and we headed toward the exit.
When we had traveled some distance, I picked up a nearby stone and threw it at the ornament wrapping the Night Luminous Pearl.
Crack!
As the ornament shattered, the Night Luminous Pearl slipped free and fell downward.
Whoooosh—!
I concentrated my energy toward the Night Luminous Pearl, and it stopped suspended in mid-air before hitting the ground.
This is Ethereal Grasping.
I could use it properly only after reaching the Transcendent Realm, but this was my first time using it in this manner.
“Huff!”
The Night Luminous Pearl moved toward me, guided by my energy, and I caught it lightly.
Thud!
I couldn’t leave this behind.
Among all the Night Luminous Pearls I’d seen, this one was the largest, so it would fetch quite a price.
“Come on, let’s hurry and leave!”
“Yes!”
We dashed away at full speed using our lightness technique.
And just as we were nearly arriving at the Military Camp.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
A deafening roar erupted from the Sword Tower as if heaven and earth were being torn asunder.
And clouds of dust rose into the air.
No martial artist hearing that sound could remain asleep. Everyone awoke and rushed urgently out of the barracks.
“Hah….”
“Ah….”
Everyone fell silent, staring at the ruins, and some collapsed to the ground as if utterly defeated.
“No, this can’t be. My merit….”
Gyeongsan Elder muttered in a daze.
Was my suspicion correct after all?
It seemed the Murim Alliance had promised to support Gyeongsan Elder if this matter concluded successfully.
Don’t wear such a despairing expression.
In my previous life, Elder was treated most miserably.
The Murim Alliance placed all responsibility on Gyeongsan Elder, and he was forced to destroy his own dantian.
But this incident happened suddenly and is an accident of unknown cause.
Therefore, the same tragedy as before will not occur.
Once everyone had calmed somewhat, we headed toward the Sword Tower.
The other two factions arrived around the same time as us.
“It was you! You sabotaged this place, didn’t you? To prevent others from finding what’s inside?”
At the Black Blade Warrior’s outcry, a warrior from the Orthodox Sect shouted back.
“You bastard! Are you fanning flames on a burning house right now? Pouring oil on it? Do you think we’ve lost our minds to do something like this?”
Well, it was I who did such a thing. Does that make me mad?
I coughed involuntarily.
“Have you perhaps caught a cold, sir?”
At Palgap’s words, I let out a stifled laugh.
“A cold? No, there’s just so much dust my throat feels raw.”
Seeing the quarrel intensify, I stepped forward.
“Now, now, please calm yourselves. Sigh… What can we do about this? After all, as this is an ancient structure, the risk of collapse was always present.”
“That’s true enough.”
“Hmm….”
I continued my explanation.
“And in a way, this might be the blessing of heaven and earth. If this Sword Tower had collapsed while we were still inside… ugh! I shudder just thinking about it.”
At my words, the others also imagined the scenario, and all grew pale or trembled.
“When you put it that way, perhaps we were fortunate?”
“Wow… So we nearly died?”
“Oh my! Mother!”
I continued speaking.
“However, having come all this way, wouldn’t it be shameful to leave empty-handed?”
“That’s right.”
“So why don’t we mark out the boundaries as we agreed before and attempt an excavation? Who knows? There might be something remaining.”
The primary reason I made such a proposal was their lingering attachment.
Attachment is a more persistent and enduring emotion than one might think.
If they don’t resolve it here, it could become a problem later.
Secondly, I wanted them to learn directly what was inside.
Once they understood the true purpose of this Sword Tower, they would realize how foolish their attempt to enter it had been.
Furthermore, this truth must be revealed to the world so that Jeongmyeong Monk, who heard my words and persuaded Shaolin Temple, can save face.
Lastly, I haven’t yet properly determined whether the Geumui Guard dispatched here truly has connections to the Murim Alliance.
Since I’m working under the Emperor’s orders, I must be certain.
If I bungle this and give the Emperor grounds to criticize me, there’s nothing more troublesome than that.
Just imagining the Emperor’s relentless interrogation makes cold sweat break out.
At my words, those gathered here nodded in agreement.

After breakfast, a long red line had been drawn across the ruins of Geom Chong.
Ah….
They’ve divided the territory by faction.
Though I suggested it, this approach would certainly help reduce unnecessary conflicts.
And so we began the excavation work.
Given the high caliber of the martial artists gathered here, the excavation proceeded smoothly.
In an instant, the debris piled up behind us, forming mountains.
I wonder why I have the feeling that when this story spreads and spreads, it will become a tale of how the masters of the Three Major Martial Forces shook the earth and created mountains?
That was when it happened.
“Ahhhhh!”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Screams from someone, followed by arrows launching into the air!
So sudden, and fired from so close by.
“Are these bastards launching a surprise attack right now?”
“N-no, that’s not it!”
“What do you mean, ‘not it’?”
I, who had been waiting nearby where the mechanism trap was expected to be, immediately interjected.
“Where were those arrows fired from? I was watching from a distance, and they clearly appeared to be launched from the ground.”
“From the ground?”
“Yes. And if this were a surprise attack, wouldn’t they have aimed at people instead of firing arrows into the air like that?”
“N-now that you mention it….”
“Then what is it?”
“Why would arrows be fired from the ground….”
Faced with this sudden crisis, each faction immediately halted excavation and began investigating.
And when the shocking truth was revealed, they couldn’t hide their astonishment.
“This is clearly Hyeol Gon Seong Seung’s Sword Tower, yet how could there be such a trap….”
“And arrows being fired upward from below. If arrows were being launched from inside there….”
“Hmm….”
Watching their reaction, I smiled bitterly to myself.
Why are you all so shocked already?
There’s more. Far crueler traps remain.
Excavation resumed, and the traps were revealed one by one.
A trap where the floor suddenly collapses, impaling those below on iron spikes.
A massive log embedded with blades flying from the front—a trap designed to maim.
Arrows streaking in from the sides—another trap.
Arrows descending from above—yet another.
A trap that unleashes poisonous vapor.
Traps that ignite sudden infernos to incinerate all in their path, and countless others.
Each faction’s reaction differed markedly as they discovered these horrors.
The Murim Alliance and Orthodox Sect lamented, “Such brutality! Can this truly be the Sword Tower of the Hyeol Gon Seong Seung Master?”
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect sneered, “We’ve known of this bald devil’s cruelty since he oppressed our followers!”
The Black Path members grumbled, “Damn it! Again?”
Yet they all shared one thing in common.
They clutched their chests in relief that the Sword Tower’s collapse had prevented them from entering.

Two days passed, then four, six, five more—time slipped away, and the excavation neared completion.
But no treasures or secret manuals had surfaced.
I had already claimed what lay here.
Then it happened.
“Gasp! Look, look here! There’s something here!”
“We’ve found something!”
At the warriors’ cry, people surged forward in a mass.
“What have you discovered?”
Gyeongsan Elder rushed downward but froze mid-step.
There lay the withered remains of an old monk, seated in lotus position, having passed into nirvana.
The remains of the Hyeol Gon Seong Seung Master.
Despite the explosion, the structure above had miraculously survived intact, preserving the master’s remains perfectly.
Carved into the wall beside it were the words: [I, Hyejin, shall keep watch over this place.]
“It appears to be the sacred body of the Hyeol Gon Seong Seung Master.”
“What should we do?”
Discussion about the remains continued, and I gazed upon them.
Within my heart, I whispered silently.
How different this life has become from my previous one.
So, Master, what are your thoughts?
You may despise me for ruining your plans.
But then again…
Wait? What’s this?
Did Master just… laugh?

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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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