The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 490

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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 490

Chapter 490. Mingming Trading Company (7)

I asked Geumryeong as I looked at him.
“Why the sudden change?”
“Chui….”
“Hmm? My expression frightened you? Frightening, really? I’d say it’s rather handsome….”
“Chui… Chu….”
“You thought I looked like I was about to strip someone bare? Nonsense. You must have misread it.”
I flashed a bright smile while inwardly breaking into a cold sweat.
This creature… how did he know?
Father’s letter said to do as I pleased.
So for just a moment, I had considered how to strip Mingming Trading Company bare.
Since they owed me a debt of gratitude, if I wished it, there was nothing I couldn’t take from them.
But considering our future relationship, I decided to exercise restraint. Yet this creature had caught that fleeting expression that crossed my face in that instant.
I chuckled and spoke.
“Don’t worry needlessly and just eat your silver. I wouldn’t dream of stripping you bare too.”
Still, today’s meeting should be quite entertaining.
“Chu, Chui….”

* * *

Seong Woo-shin, the Merchant Guild Leader of Mingming Trading Company, watched the carriage disappear into the distance.
It carried Eun Jung-ho and Eun Seo-ho of the Eun Hae Trading Company.
They were his benefactors who had saved Mingming Trading Company, but his philosophy was clear: gratitude was gratitude, and business was business.
He could see from this morning’s meeting that those two men shared the same principle.
“Chung-min.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You worked hard today.”
At those words, Sung Chung-min shook his head with an exasperated expression.
“Phew, I truly felt like a child again. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way. Still, I’m grateful we didn’t lose ground.”
“We didn’t lose ground? Hahaha!”
Seong Woo-shin burst into hearty laughter at his son’s words.
“Why are you laughing, Father?”
“Do you know who a merchant should fear most?”
“I’m listening.”
“Those who understand the proper measure.”
“The proper measure?”
“Yes, the proper measure. It means knowing how far you can push and stopping there. Small Guild Master Eun Jung-ho and Small Guild Master Eun Seo-ho—they have that certainty.”
He continued.
“They understood that measure and showed restraint.”
“I see…. So that’s how it was.”
“Small Guild Master Eun Seo-ho—I felt it before, but he’s truly extraordinary.”
“If that’s the case now, I’m anxious about the future. I must cultivate myself even more diligently.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
Merchant Guild Leader Seong Woo-shin glanced at the departing carriage and reflected. He was grateful they had forged this connection with the Eun Hae Trading Company.
He turned to look beside him.
His grandson, Sung Yu-jin, stood with his mother.
Last night, through the Guard Warrior, he had learned something remarkable.
When his grandson had gone missing, he had consumed a spiritual mushroom, and through it had gained the inner power of a second-rate warrior.
And Do Gyeong, the son of the Guard Warrior, had become his grandson’s master.
On one hand, he felt relieved.
His grandson would become healthier and safer going forward.
“Grandfather.”
Just then, his grandson called to him.
“What is it?”
“I promised our benefactors that we would visit the Eun Hae Trading Company next time. I wanted to ask your permission in advance.”
At this, Merchant Guild Leader Seong Woo-shin smiled and replied.
“It seems I’ll have business at the Eun Hae Trading Company soon. Let’s go together then.”

* * *

On the carriage ride to the Eunhae Merchant Guild Sichuan Branch.
I glanced back over my shoulder.
“What is it?”
At Eun Jung-ho’s question, I laughed awkwardly.
“Just wondering if I went too far.”
“Don’t worry. You actually took less than I expected.”
“Took? This was a fair transaction.”
At my words, my elder brother chuckled.
“So the one calling it a fair transaction is now wondering if he went too far?”
“Haha.”
I laughed sheepishly.
Through this morning’s negotiations, our Eunhae Merchant Guild had secured generous shipping fees for transporting the Mingming Trading Company’s pepper.
And we had added several special clauses, one of which was an exemption clause for cases where we couldn’t deliver the pepper due to force majeure.
It was a provision I had desperately wanted to include, and I was relieved we managed to get it.
I gazed out through the carriage window. Now all that remained was to return home.
“Elder Brother.”
At my call, he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Thank you so much for staying alive.”
At my words, he turned his head and scratched his cheek.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble.”
“It’s fine. I’m here. As long as you stay alive, I can handle any situation. So…”
I spoke earnestly.
“No matter how dire things become, you must stay alive. If you do, I will absolutely save you.”
The reason I was warning him in advance was because the Murim Alliance might scheme to put my elder brother in danger.
Did he sense the sincerity behind my words?
Eun Jung-ho looked at me and nodded seriously.
“Yes, I promise.”

We arrived at the Sichuan Branch and briefly informed Uncle about what had transpired at the Mingming Trading Company.
“Father will send a letter later.”
“Understood.”
“And we plan to depart tomorrow, once preparations are complete.”
“Yes, you should hurry. How much longer can he wait?”
Since those who had accompanied Eun Jung-ho when he came to Sichuan also needed to travel with us, there was much to prepare.
However, since departure preparations were already underway, we could leave tomorrow.
That evening, Uncle’s family and the senior members of the Sichuan Branch gathered for a modest banquet.

The next morning, we set out for Hubei Province with everyone’s farewells, as planned.
Since it wasn’t just me and the Guard Warrior traveling, our pace was considerably slower than when we had arrived in Sichuan.
That’s fine. After all, I need to sort through various thoughts during the journey.
First, there’s the woman named Hwang Min.
It’s puzzling that her eyes turned red, but it’s equally strange that the moment she died, the aura of the Black Path mixed with blood scent vanished from her body.
I need to look into this as quickly as possible.
“By the way, Young Master.”
At that moment, Jung-ho’s Attendant, who was sitting ahead, spoke up.
“How did you survive in those rapids?”
Ah, that’s something I had been curious about too.
I just hadn’t gotten around to asking.
In response to my question, Elder Brother Eun Jung-ho pulled out a hairpin from his sleeve and showed it to me.
“This.”
“Hmm?”
“Actually, I bought it to give to my wife… but I survived thanks to this.”
The hairpin, adorned with coral and cloisonné decorations, looked remarkably sturdy.
When Elder Brother pressed the ornament of the hairpin, there was a sharp sound, and a keen hidden blade shot out from within.
Key figures of major merchant guilds never know when or where they might be targeted, so they always keep such self-defense items on hand.
This hairpin too must have been prepared out of concern for my Elder Brother’s Wife.
But the material of this hidden blade inside the hairpin… it doesn’t seem to be ordinary iron.
“This is… Hyeon Steel, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. Given my wife’s level of cultivation, I bought the finest quality.”
Elder Brother continued his explanation.
“While I was being swept away helplessly in the rapids, I thought I had to get to higher ground somehow. That’s when this came to mind. So I wedged this blade into a crevice in the rocks and used it as a support to climb up onto the boulder.”
After recovering his strength, he was able to reach land, or so the explanation went.
In other words, what saved Elder Brother was his heart’s devotion to his wife.
“Elder Brother, treat your wife well in the future too.”
“I would do that even without you saying so.”

We had arrived at the foothills of Emei Mountain in Eastern Sichuan without realizing it, and we decided to rest there.
Of course, I made sure to secure a quality inn.
Since the journey here had been quite arduous, I wanted to make the return trip more comfortable.
That night.
I summoned Seo-woo Warrior and Yeo Eung-am Warrior.
“I need to go somewhere for a moment.”
“We shall accompany you.”
After telling Palgap I was stepping out briefly, I left the inn with the two Guard Warriors.
My destination was the place where I had discovered Eun Jung-ho.
More precisely, where I had found the Hundred-Year Spirit Deer.
Whoosh.
We came to a halt as we traversed the deep forest using lightness martial arts, then entered the area where the Hundred-Year Spirit Deer dwelled.
“Kahahang!”
At that moment, a creature blocked our path.
A fluffy-furred spirit raccoon.
Whether it was truly a spirit creature or not, the raccoon’s presence was extraordinary. However…
“Kaha… ang?”
Soon the spirit raccoon recognized us…
“Kwui?”
When Geumryeong poked her head out from my sleeve and said something to the spirit raccoon, it quickly lowered its head.
I must have imagined that it sounded like “You forgot about me?” to my ears.
The reason I stopped by this place on my way back was to take measures for the spirit raccoon that guarded the Hundred-Year Spirit Deer.
Back then, time was scarce, but now I had more of it than before.
“Have you been well?”
“Kaang.”
“You seem to have been doing fine. You must have resented me for taking half of the Hundred-Year Spirit Deer back then. But I had my reasons.”
“Kahing?”
“It’s true. The Hundred-Year Spirit Deer absorbs the vital energy from its surroundings. Eventually, it even consumes the animals and spirit creatures around it. Which means it would eventually consume you as well.”
“Kahing? Kang?”
“I’m serious. So when I took half back then, I’ll admit I had my own desires, but it was also for your sake. The population needed to be controlled.”
I continued.
“Now you should be able to endure for another hundred years or so. So maintain it at this level.”
“Kang?”
“If you gather fruits from the surrounding area every few years and leave them here, you’ll be able to extend the time you can spend together with them.”
“Kaang!”
That must mean it understood.
“Well then, that’s all the advice I have. Now there’s one thing I need to do to protect this place.”
I drew the Eun Moo-geom.
“Kaang?”
The reason this blade is called the Eun Moo-geom is because it possesses the ability to manipulate mist.
I’m not yet at a level where I can use that power effectively in combat. It requires considerable concentration.
And manipulating the mist consumes a substantial amount of inner energy.
I concentrated my inner force into Eun Moo-geom and swung it in a wide arc.
A soft whisper echoed through the air.
Mist began to coalesce thickly around us, and after giving it some time, I sheathed Eun Moo-geom.
Before long, the surroundings had become so obscured that one couldn’t see even a step ahead.
“This should be sufficient to protect this place.”
I had created this mist for one purpose alone—to safeguard this location.
We had harvested the hundred-year Ja-ryeong here and given Do Gyeong a portion of it.
But one can never predict human nature.
Word could spread, or someone might stumble upon this place by chance.
If that happened, the Spirit Raccoon could lose the precious hundred-year Ja-ryeong, or worse, bloodshed could occur.
The Spirit Raccoon could even be hunted down.
Though it was under Geumryeong’s coercion, I still couldn’t allow the Spirit Raccoon—who had helped my elder brother survive—to perish in such a manner.
I always repay my debts of gratitude thoroughly.
Besides, it’s also Geumryeong’s subordinate.
Ah… of course, I’m also marking this place in case I need to harvest a few more later.
“Then, take care of yourself.”
I departed from that place. Watching the Spirit Raccoon wave goodbye from behind, I let out a soft chuckle.
As we left, we planted markers at regular intervals along the path so that anyone who might wander in could safely find their way out.

The next day, we set out on the road again.
We had decided to take a boat from the ferry terminal at the base of Emei Mountain to Hubei Province.
“By the way, Elder Brother. Will you be alright taking a boat?”
It’s common for people to develop a fear of boats after experiencing an accident at sea.
“I’ll be fine. How could I fulfill my role as Sect Leader if I were afraid of boats?”
“But…”
“And besides, if something happens again, you’ll save me, won’t you?”
At those words, I nodded in agreement.
“So don’t worry.”
With those words, Eun Jung-ho boarded the boat. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, the light in Eun Jung-ho’s gaze was that of the dependable Sect Leader I had known in my previous life.

The boat sailed toward Hubei Province at great speed.
And several days later.
We finally reached the familiar ferry terminal. After spending one night there, we set out toward the Eun Hae Trading Company Headquarters.
And the next day.
“Ah… home. We’ve finally arrived home.”
Eun Jung-ho murmured with eyes glistening with tears.
That’s right. We had arrived at the Eun Hae Trading Company Headquarters.
Home.
As we stepped out of the carriage, our entire family came out to greet us warmly.
“Jung-ho!”
“Father! Mother!”
“Do you know how much worry you’ve caused me, you rascal?”
“Grandfather…”
“I’m so relieved you’ve returned safely.”
“Sister-in-law…”
After Father, Mother, Grandfather, and Sister-in-law…
“Father!”
“Waaah! Father!”
Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon clung to Eun Jung-ho’s legs, causing him to stumble backward slightly.
But my brother’s eyes reddened as he embraced the two children, unable to speak.
Seeing that scene, I felt tears welling up as well.
I truly did well.
I’m proud of myself.
In the meantime, Father approached me and patted my shoulder.
“Thank you.”
The weight of emotion in those words struck me deeply.
I approached them and spoke.
“Let’s save the reunion for later. If emotions run too high, it could strain your bodies.”
“Ah, yes, that makes sense.”
“And my brother needs rest as well.”
I looked at the two children and spoke.
“You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Sister-in-law led the children inside.
Father gripped Eun Jung-ho’s hand tightly and spoke.
“I’m truly relieved you’ve returned safely.”
“My apologies, Father. Your son has returned safely.”
At Father’s words, Eun Jung-ho smiled broadly in response, but suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed to the side.
“Ah! Seriously!”
I quickly steadied my alarmed Father by supporting my Elder Brother.
“It seems the tension he was holding has finally released. A bit of rest should set him right.”
No matter how many lives one saves, there’s no place more comfortable and conducive to relaxation than home.
He must have accumulated considerable tension during all this time.
When I handed my Elder Brother over to his Guard Warrior, Father spoke to me.
“Ah, and we have a guest. He calls himself Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.”
I think I’ve had this thought before…
Should I really just run away?
– Squeak.
Ah, so it’s futile, then.

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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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