The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 49

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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 49

Chapter 49. The First Purse (3)

They had left the Merchant Guild Headquarters.
Uncertain about what lay ahead, Han Gongja came to them—to Yang Jin-soo and the others.
A gongja by the name of Eun Seo-ho.
This gongja extended them a proposal.
A suggestion to make a fresh start elsewhere.
I thought him audacious.
The very fact that he would make such an offer to us was bold.

“You have already fulfilled your duty to the Former Merchant Lord. At this point, I believe he would understand. So should you not now seek your own path forward?”

Having worked at the Merchant Guild all this time, I had always prided myself on my ability to read people.
I sensed the gongja was no ordinary man, so I deliberated long and hard.
In truth, the New Merchant Lord of the Nok Jade Merchant Guild had not merely cast us out—he resented even our remaining in Yang Fan.
Thus he applied pressure through various pretexts, and when I thought we could endure no longer, this proposal arrived, stirring my heart with possibility.
Yet one cannot judge a person by appearance alone.
Through our connections, we investigated this man called Eun Seo-ho.
And then news reached our ears.
That Eun Seo-ho stood in close relations with the Jegal Family, and enjoyed the trust of both the Grand Patriarch and the House Master.
The Jegal Family—what a name!
Were they not the spiritual pillar of those dwelling in the west of Hubei Province?
Here was a gongja with connections to such a place.
Moreover, as merchants who had maintained our base in Yang Fan for more than thirty years, we knew well.
The Jegal Family was no easy organization to trifle with.
Thus, the moment we confirmed that rumor to be truth, we resolved to accept his proposal.
And so we immediately commissioned the Pyoguk for escort services and came to this place.
Pyo Du understood our circumstances.
And because Pyo Du owed us favors from times past, he spared no effort to escort us safely in repayment of that debt.
“Still, do not lose heart.”
“Much obliged. Then take care on your way.”
“We are truly grateful for all you have done.”
“Guard yourselves well. Your bodies are your greatest asset, are they not?”
“Yes, thank you. Please take care of yourselves as well.”
And so Pyo Du and his escort departed, leaving those of us before the County Office to exhale deeply.
“Is this truly the right place?”
At someone’s question, Yang Jin-soo, who held the position of leader, nodded his head.
“This is definitely the place.”
“They said if we came here and waited, they would find us within half an hour.”
“But why did they insist on meeting in front of the County Office….”
It was about an hour later when we were still waiting.
“Excuse me, are you Yang Jin-soo, the manager from Yang Trading Company, and your party?”
At the sound of someone calling to us, I turned to look and saw a Giant Man standing before us.
“Who are you?”
“I’ve been sent to escort you.”
But Yang Jin-soo detected something dangerous emanating from him.
It was an instinct born from experiencing countless trials within the Merchant Guild.
That instinct was now sending him a warning.
Yang Jin-soo asked him.
“Who sent you?”
“…I cannot answer that.”
“Tell that person to come themselves if they wish to see us.”
“That person is busy.”
“No. We will not follow you until that person comes directly.”
A dispute ensued.
“They are a busy person. There is no time for this.”
“Ha! So that person must come in person, you say?”
“If you keep this up, that person may not give you what they promised.”
With that, he subtly drew his blade.
Feeling the pressure, Yang Jin-soo’s party retreated backward step by step.
Then they tried to dash toward the County Office.
The Giant Man, noticing their intention, spoke.
“This is becoming tedious, is it not?”
“….”
“If you do not come quietly, I cannot guarantee your safety.”
The Giant Man before them knew they had come from Yang Trading Company and knew their names as well.
He knew they would come here, and there was only one person who would harm them.
Confirmation was necessary.
“…Who sent you?”
“Why do you ask again? Knowing will only trouble your heart.”
“I’m asking who sent you.”
That was when it happened.
“Wait? Isn’t this the same person I saw earlier?”
At the unexpected voice, I turned my head and saw a familiar face.
It was Eun Seo-ho.
And behind him, people bound together like dried fish were being escorted by the County Office’s constables.
At Eun Seo-ho’s cry, those bound by ropes looked toward the Giant Man and shouted.
“What? What the—that bastard?”
“He’s one of them too!”
“What?”
“Arrest the Marketplace conspirator!”
Thus the situation was resolved in an instant.

* * *

I arrived at the Gui-myeon-po Elder’s Miscellaneous Shop with Yang Jin-soo, the head manager from Yang Trading Company, and the others.
The old man was eating dumplings for lunch.
Seeing that only made me hungrier.
“This way.”
I led them to a rather spacious underground chamber.
I intended to establish a merchant guild with them.
And no one could know about the relationship between that guild and me.
Not even my own family.
That’s why I had to move in secret, but I lacked a suitable location.
As I pondered this, the old man spoke to me.

“If that’s what you need, I have just the place.”
“Really? You do?”
“Yes. The basement here.”
“May I see it?”
“By all means.”

The old man showed me the underground space.
Surprised by how spacious and pleasant it was, I decided to rent it.

“The rental fee is one plate of dumplings.”
“Of course.”

The dumplings the old man is currently eating are precisely those dumplings.
Thanks to my frequent visits to this place, the Ghost-Face Pao Elder has begun treating me with familiarity.
The evidence lies in how he shifted from formal speech to casual speech.
I asked Yang Jin-soo and his companions.
“Have you already eaten?”
“Ah, yes. We had a simple bowl of noodles on the way here.”
So only I haven’t had lunch yet.
To meet with them today and discuss matters, I had to clear my lunch hour.
First, I obtained the Ghost-Face Pao Elder’s cooperation and mobilized the constables.
I knew the New Company Master of the Nok Jade Merchant Guild would move to harm them.
Because I have the memory of that destruction in my mind.
.
.
.
The seven managers before me, including Yang Jin-soo, were the principal architects who built and developed the Nok Jade Merchant Guild.
They were driven out by the New Merchant Lord, who is the son of the former Merchant Lord.
I don’t know the details, but there must have been conflict between the New Merchant Lord and them.
The New Merchant Lord likely thought they disrespected him, while they probably found him frustrating and ungrateful.
In any case, by replacing stagnant water with fresh water, he did bring vitality to the Nok Jade Merchant Guild.
It was good that he wanted to attempt something new.
But the New Merchant Lord didn’t understand why stagnant water becomes stagnant.
Water becomes stagnant precisely because it survived even in unexpected calamities like droughts that dried up all the land’s waters.
In commerce, unexpected problems arise constantly.
The New Merchant Lord, having grown up in the merchant guild himself, probably thought he could handle such unexpected situations well.
In fact, he supposedly said, “Such problems could just be solved with money, so why were they wasting time on unnecessary socializing….”
His method of dealing with problems was money.
But that was a misconception.
He didn’t know that there were many problems that couldn’t be solved with money, and that such problems could only be resolved through experience, the connections built over time, and accumulated reputation.
Such things often don’t show on the surface.
Or perhaps he knew but ignored it.
But having driven away all those who possessed such weapons, there was no way he could respond properly.
Moreover, the New Merchant Lord didn’t even allow them to remain in Yang Fan.
Ultimately, they decided to leave Yang Fan.
The problem was that the New Merchant Lord of the Nok Jade Merchant Guild hired wandering warriors and even sought their lives.
He was apparently afraid of other merchant guilds recruiting them and employing them.
In the future I experienced, only Yang Jin-soo was the sole survivor among them.
Because of that incident, the Nok Jade Merchant Guild became Yang Jin-soo’s eternal blood enemy.
That’s because among the dead were not only colleagues but also family members.
After hearing his testimony, the government investigated the Merchant Lord of the Nok Jade Merchant Guild, but the officials, having already accepted bribes, acquitted him.

Thus, several years passed, and the New Nok Jade Merchant Guild Master realized something had gone terribly wrong—but by then, it was far too late.
He could not seek counsel even if he wished to.
The situation had become one where those hungry to devour the Nok Jade Merchant Guild surrounded him on all sides.
From whom could he possibly seek advice?
In the end, the Nok Jade Merchant Guild collapsed.
The New Merchant Lord was murdered by someone, and people called it karmic retribution.
I thought the same.

Seeing the protagonists of that tale, I suddenly understood with certainty that I had truly returned through time.
This time, while visiting Yang Fan where the Jegal Family Estate was located, I made contact with them.
Fortunately, it was before they left Yang Fan, and I managed to meet them in time and bring them here.
This time, I did not wish to let innocent people meet meaningless deaths.
So I picked up those whom the Nok Jade Merchant Guild had discarded.
The true treasure of a merchant guild is its people, yet they cast them away so carelessly!
The experience and connections these people now possess cannot be bought for all the gold in the world.

I knew that they would die at the hands of the ronin hired by the New Merchant Lord, so I employed two stratagems to save them.
The first was to ensure they came here with the help of the Pyoguk without fail.
In the future I experienced, Yang Jin-soo and his group did not receive the Pyoguk’s assistance.
That is precisely why they fell so easily to the ronin.
Since we were in dire financial straits, the commission fee owed to the Pyoguk felt wasteful.
After all, the Pyoguk’s services cost far more than one might expect.
So I gave them money and earnestly urged them to seek the Pyoguk’s help without fail, and they complied with my request.

The second stratagem was to set the meeting place in front of the County Office.
In front of the County Office, the ronin would find it awkward to act recklessly.
Since I could not eliminate Yang Jin-soo and his group on the road to Chongyang County, only one method remained.
To deal with them before they became acquainted with the people of Chongyang County.
Otherwise, it would be troublesome to handle the situation in many ways.
But the problem was that Yang Jin-soo and his group were in front of the County Office.
So the ronin warriors devised their own plan.
One person would approach them, lure them away to another location, and eliminate them there.
But I dealt with them first.
Though I moved the constables through the Ghost-Face Pao Elder, they were wanted criminals.
They were not the ones trying to coerce and drag away Yang Jin-soo and his group.
Thanks to this, the matter would be resolved more swiftly.

“Please, have some tea.”
Palgap served each of them a cup, and finally placed one before me.
They drank.
Only then did their trembling hands seem to steady.
Yang Jin-soo asked.
“Is it truly them that the Merchant Lord sent?”
“Which Merchant Lord are you referring to?”
“Well, that is….”
He swallowed hard and continued.
“The Merchant Lord of the Nok Jade Merchant Guild… sent them?”
“Don’t you already know the answer?”
At my response, they exhaled heavily. Their faces bore expressions of anger, disappointment, and more.
I would feel the same in their position.
To be cast out from the guild where they had devoted their youth, and nearly lose their lives on top of it all.
“Then even if we attempt a fresh start, you will obstruct us again, won’t you?”
“Naturally. However.”
I spoke to them.
“Will only the Nok Jade Merchant Guild obstruct you?”
“Ah… I see.”
“You are men who have survived despite facing such obstructions until now. I believe you can easily overcome that much.”
“We are grateful for such an assessment.”
Now it was time to begin the real discussion.
“The reason I have gathered you here is, as I explained before, to undertake something new together with you.”
“Then, what path to survival should we pursue?”
He remembered what I had said.
I looked toward Yang Jin-soo.
The leader among them, the manager who had overseen the distribution of goods at the Nok Jade Merchant Guild.
I answered with a slight smile.
“The business I wish to undertake with you is the pharmaceutical trade.”
“The pharmaceutical trade, you say?”
“How does one obtain medicine?”
“Well, naturally one must seek out a Physician and have them prescribe medicine….”
I continued.
“That is the conventional way. But it is costly, and most common folk cannot afford it. So I intend to change that convention. Surely people shouldn’t die from indigestion, should they?”

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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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