The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 463

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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 463

Chapter 463. The Meaning of Advice (3)

I glanced around briefly before letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
Phew, that was close.
Why did I have to communicate through sound transmission in the first place?
Doesn’t this man have any sense of awareness?
He stared up at me with a bewildered expression, and I spoke in an icy voice.
“Were you trying to test me? Ambushing me so cowardly?”
At the same time, I sent him a message through sound transmission.
– Are you planning to make another mistake? Come to your senses quickly and tell them you were testing my martial skills.
Only then did he seem to grasp the situation, composing his expression before speaking.
“Seon Hyeop Mi-rang has quite the reputation as a skilled martial artist, does she not? I merely wanted to verify if it was genuine, yet you’re overreacting.”
“Please refrain from such actions. If my assassins were to emerge without my knowledge, it would be catastrophic.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Let’s leave.”
I extended my hand while sending him another message through sound transmission.
– I understand the situation is precarious. If you desire my assistance, take my hand. Otherwise, simply leave on your own.
After a moment of hesitation, he grasped my hand.
“Come carefully.”
– I will visit you tonight. Pretend to sleep and have everyone withdraw from your vicinity. And leave your window open.
I continued sending messages through sound transmission as I helped him out.
– If you make another mistake, remember that Chungyeongseong will be finished.
“Thank you.”
He nodded slightly in response.
“You’ll need to change your clothes. Unfortunately, we’ll have to end the tour of the residence here.”
“Yes, that would be wise.”
We parted ways, and I watched Yeon Yu-mun’s retreating figure.
Was it my imagination that his steps seemed lighter than before?
I approached Yeon Yu-mun because I needed his assistance to rescue the Imperial Prince.
When the Merchant encountered our group today, I sensed a bloodstained aura of the Black Path emanating from the Geumui Guards who had come to monitor us.
Whether it was because I had encountered countless Black Path members or because my cultivation had advanced, I could now distinguish this aura to some degree.
Among all the Black Path members I had met, those connected to the Murim Alliance emitted a particularly thick bloodstained aura.
Which meant this situation was also connected to the Murim Alliance.
Sigh, I still can’t fathom what these bastards are scheming.
But one thing is certain: if this succeeds, the Murim Alliance will obtain what they desire in some form.
Therefore, this task is necessary not only for the Emperor’s command, but also for my revenge.
After examining various parts of the residence with Yeon Yu-mun, I arrived at a single conclusion.
The security was quite stringent, so executing the plan would not be simple.
And there were more troops than I had anticipated.
Still, I had to try!
First, to rescue the Imperial Prince and save those who had been wrongly accused in my previous life, I needed an insider, and I chose Yeon Yu-mun.
When I had asked him about the Fortress Lord earlier, the emotion he displayed was unmistakable anger.
That was why I approached Yeon Yu-mun.
After all, an insider is most effective when they feel desperate enough to be consumed by anger.
.
.
.
That night.
I moved alone, slipping through the shadows.
Moving alone allowed me to travel far more discreetly than moving with others.
Yeon Yu-mun’s quarters were located in the Inner Quarters of the Chungyeong Castle Residence.
Whoosh!
I arrived at the roof of Yeon Yu-mun’s quarters by executing the Shadowless Step at its peak.
“I shall retire now, so you may withdraw.”
“Yes, sir.”
I heard Yeon Yu-mun’s voice, and what appeared to be his attendant exited from within.
But it was not yet time.
There were still eyes watching him.
After concealing my presence and waiting for what felt like an eternity, I sensed the watchful gaze finally disappear.
I seized the opportunity and slipped through the window of Yeon Yu-mun’s chamber.
Thanks to executing the Shadowless Step at its peak, not a single footfall echoed.
I sent a transmission of qi to Yeon Yu-mun, who lay upon the bed.
– Rise now.
“…!”
He jolted upright in shock.
The only light illuminating this chamber was the pale moonlight filtering through the window.
I first spread my qi to block any sound from escaping.
“You may speak freely now. No voice within this space will reach the outside.”
At my words, he bit his lip slightly before speaking.
“Will you truly help us?”
“Yes.”
“What is your reason? Forgive me, but if you seek payment, I cannot offer more than you might expect.”
“There is no need for such concerns. I already understand the circumstances of Chungyeongseong. And no such compensation is necessary. I have come here by order of the Emperor.”
“What? The, the Emperor… you say?”
“Indeed.”
“Could it be that you have come to rescue Prince Ju-hyeon?”
To be precise, I did come for that purpose.
But that’s not the answer right now.
“That is merely one of my duties. The command I received from His Majesty is to save the Lord of Chungyeongseong and his family, who have devoted themselves to the Empire for so long.”
“…Ah! His Majesty the Emperor ordered you to save us? That can’t be right.”
Seeing the disbelief written across his face, I bowed respectfully.
“I sincerely apologize for only recently learning of the atrocities committed by the Imperial Envoys who came to Chungyeongseong.”
“Hah, what good is that apology now? My younger sister took her own life, and my father is confined with one arm lost.”
“I apologize for arriving so late.”
He laughed bitterly and shook his head.
“No, I understand it’s difficult for the Empire to scrutinize every single place in detail. Especially since there were traitors involved.”
Traitors.
He was referring to the Geumui Guard and Dongchang who served someone other than the Emperor.
“I am merely grateful that you have not forgotten us and have come here even now.”
He continued speaking.
“Let me be clear—we had no intention of treason. We simply wished to live quietly.”
Sorrow was evident in his eyes as he spoke.
“I have grasped the general situation, but I would appreciate a detailed explanation.”
In response to my request, he explained everything that had transpired.
It all began when Prince Ju-hyeon arrived here with the Imperial Envoys.
“When His Highness the Prince saw the food we presented, he seemed to notice something amiss. After meeting privately with my father, he said he would return to the Imperial Palace. But…when His Highness met privately with my father and discovered the truth, they learned of it.”
“Then, they detained His Highness the Prince?”
At my question, he nodded.
“Yes. Their purpose is to use His Highness the Prince to have Chungyeongseong recognized as an independent nation.”
“But His Highness the Prince would never have consented to such a thing.”
“Correct. So they even tortured him, but His Highness the Prince has not yielded, it seems.”
“….”
Damn these wretched bastards!
So to summarize, this is what happened.
Prince Ju-hyeon learned the truth about this place and intended to report it to the Emperor.
But fearing punishment, they detained Prince Ju-hyeon out of fear.
Since a prince could become an emperor or king, if things went well, he could avoid punishment and actually live as a true king of this Chungyeongseong region.
Chungyeongseong was already a fairly independent region to begin with.
But ultimately, this plan required the prince’s consent, and since he refused, they even tortured him.
And now I understand why Prince Ju-hyeon died in my previous life.
They killed him.
To cover up their crimes.
Torturing a prince was a crime worthy of exterminating nine generations of a family.
Anyway, considerable time has passed, yet the prince still hasn’t consented…
Suddenly, I recalled what Jin Seung Wang, with whom I had been acquainted in my previous life, had said about his older brother.

“Your elder brother was truly brilliant and resolute.”

I murmured to myself.
Just as Jin Seung Wang said, it was exactly so.
Now came the crucial question.
“But there’s something that doesn’t make sense. These men were content to plunder Chungyeongseong behind the Emperor’s back.”
I continued.
“For such men to suddenly conceive such an audacious plan to establish an independent nation—it doesn’t add up. There must be another hidden hand. Do you have any suspicions about who it might be?”
Yeon Yu-mun nodded as if recalling someone and spoke.
“Ah, yes. One day, a man appeared whom we hadn’t seen before. He arrived with roughly a hundred martial artists….”
Ah, those must be the ones I saw when touring the residence.
“The Imperial Envoys and the traitors seemed to act under his instructions.”
“So he’s the hidden mastermind.”
“It appears so. Even the Small Guild Master’s support was granted only with his approval.”
That’s fortunate.
I chuckled inwardly. Of course it was.
I had sensed that bloodstained aura of the Black Path…
He had persuaded the Imperial Envoys and traitors to set this in motion. And when things go awry, he’ll flee hastily.
He must be one of the Submerged Fish of the Murim Alliance.
That Yang Eun-jik who instigated Chung Jin King’s rebellion from behind the scenes was also a Submerged Fish.
Greed is truly terrifying.
They orchestrated this scheme solely to satisfy their own desires.
Do I not harbor greed myself?
But I have an iron principle.
No matter how tempting something may be, fulfilling one’s desires at the cost of others’ sacrifice never ends well.
“Um, but….”
Yeon Yu-mun asked me cautiously.
“Which is your true self?”
“I beg your pardon? What do you mean?”
“The way you are now and the way you were earlier are quite different.”
At this, I chuckled and turned the question back to him.
“Which appearance seems true to you?”
He pondered for a moment before answering hesitantly.
“Perhaps… neither is your true self.”
Was my acting really that convincing?
“However, there must be a reason you’re called Seon Hyeop Mi-rang. And in the eyes of your Guard Warriors, I sensed unwavering trust. So I choose to believe that this present self is the true you.”
“I must honor that faith.”
I smiled and continued.
“First, where is the Imperial Prince? We must secure him before we can prove Chungyeongseong’s innocence.”
“He is held in the Underground Dungeon beneath Chungyeongseong.”
.
.
.
I slipped out of Yeon Yu-mun’s chamber and made straight for the Underground Dungeon.
Rescuing the Imperial Prince was my foremost priority.
If things went wrong, they would kill him first.
But in my previous life, did the traitors survive? Or did they perish?
The fact that Prince Ju-hyeon died and the Lord of Chungyeong Castle received severe punishment meant the traitors had fabricated and reported evidence in their favor.
Wait. Something doesn’t add up.
According to Yeon Yu-mun, what they wanted was to rule as the king of this place….
But for now, I set aside that question and headed toward the back of the dungeon.
The entrance Yeon Yu-mun had shown me—a secret passage known only to the Fortress Lord and himself.
I’d made a good choice in turning him into an ally.
The third brick from below, he’d said.
Whoosh.
As I pushed the brick, a passage appeared silently.
It was a door that rotated on a central axis.
I passed through it and entered.
Dungeons all have the same atmosphere. Dark and oppressive.
And a place where sound carries well.
That was….
“Aaaaahhh!”
Those screams and groans from torture—meant to terrify the others who heard them.
“Now then, won’t you please grant our request, Your Highness?”
“….”
“How much longer do you intend to resist?”
“….”
“As you know, I am a Geumui Guard. I am quite skilled at torture.”
“….”
“Tch, this stubborn bastard! Like father, like son! Stubborn as they come!”
“….”
Bang!
I confirmed the footsteps had completely faded and crept cautiously in that direction.
The moment I saw the person hanging on the dungeon wall, I was left speechless.
The Imperial Prince?
I could tell he was the Prince because his face bore traces of the Emperor’s features.
Wow… his face is miraculously intact.
Well, if they meant to use him publicly, his face had to remain unmarred.
But still, it’s remarkable.
To endure such brutal torture until his entire body was ravaged, yet never break and speak.
But in that condition, wouldn’t he die under torture?
In that moment, a chill ran down my spine.
I had just found the answer I’d been searching for.
As Yeon Yu-mun said, their objective was to rule this place as king.
But if the Imperial Prince died under torture?
Then the entire plan to rule as king would become meaningless.
Because the plan was only possible with the Imperial Prince alive.
So they must have changed their plan after realizing the Imperial Prince was dead.
By barely escaping Chungyeongseong.
That’s why the Emperor and his brothers were furious when they heard what happened and pushed Chungyeongseong aside.
After that, did the connection between the traitors and the Submerged Fish break?
There’s no way.
The connection would have continued, and the Submerged Fish would have kept interfering in the Geumui Guard’s affairs.
Wow….
I don’t know who this Submerged Fish is that orchestrated all this, but I need to be careful.
I cautiously approached him and checked his pulse.
“….”
My brow furrowed.
This doesn’t look like he’ll last long.
It’s not just exhaustion—his internal injuries are far too severe.
As I was pondering what to do, a good idea came to mind.
I pulled Geum Ryung-i from my sleeve and waved a gold coin in front of him.
Immediately, Geum Ryung-i’s eyes gleamed as he began drooling profusely.
Absolutely perfect.
It’s awkward knowing the truth, but without knowing it, it’s an incredibly effective healing elixir.

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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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