The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 500

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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 500

Chapter 500. White Egret Wine (4)

From what I know, the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art is an exceptionally closed-off martial technique. Because of this, there are only a handful of places in the Empire where one can encounter it.
But what truly startled me wasn’t simply that this energy was contained within the wine.
It was that Young Gu Jin Master and Maeng Hyun showed no traces whatsoever of having learned the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art.
To infuse energy into wine, one must directly channel that energy into it.
And among those in this vicinity who have mastered the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art, there are only myself, the Escort Master of Changin Escort Agency, and Pyo Du.
But they both understand the necessity of concealing their identities, so there would be no reason for them to do such a thing.
In other words, either Young Gu Jin Master or Maeng Hyun infused the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art’s energy into this wine… but how is that even possible?
How could that be possible?
As I stood there bewildered, those who had drunk the wine let out exclamations of delight.
Of course they would.
Having consumed wine infused with the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art’s energy, their entire bodies would tingle with that refreshing, invigorating sensation.
“This tastes even better than what we had last time!”
“Indeed. I’d love to drink this often from now on.”
“What’s remarkable is how my mind becomes clearer the more I drink this wine.”
That would be the case.
The Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art possesses the function of clarifying the mind, so one would not become intoxicated from the wine.
Thus, the praise for White Egret Wine continued unabated.
After the evaluation concluded and I exchanged greetings with the invited guests alongside Go Merchant Lord, I returned to find Young Gu Jin Master and Maeng Hyun tidying up the space.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Ah, Small Guild Master. I’m relieved that everyone seemed to appreciate it.”
“It’s thanks to your hard work. Would you be available for dinner with me later?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll send someone to fetch you later.”
During dinner, I intended to subtly inquire about that wine from them.

A short while later.
A tavern near the Beijing Branch.
Arriving at the appointed time, Luzu rushed out to greet me.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for coming to meet me personally.”
It seemed I was indeed a significant patron. Luzu had waited for me and greeted me directly.
“I’ve prepared a table on the highest floor as you requested.”
“I appreciate your constant attention to detail.”
I ascended to the top floor and surveyed the surroundings.
The Guard Warriors checked various corners and reported that everything was secure.
As I sat at the dining table waiting, Palgap arrived with Young Gu Jin Master and Maeng Hyun.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for inviting us to such a fine establishment.”
Maeng Hyun in particular, as if visiting such a place for the first time, gazed around with wide eyes, utterly captivated by the surroundings.
“This gathering is prepared as a token of my gratitude for the hard work you both have done today. I hope the food suits your palate.”
“Thank you.”
Soon the dishes began to arrive, and we commenced our meal.
This was not a casual gathering where everyone ate and drank together, but rather a formal business occasion.
Thus, Palgap and the Guard Warriors stood at their designated positions to provide protection rather than dining with us.
Yet they showed no disappointment regarding the food, as I made a point of purchasing delicious meals for them whenever possible.
Young Gu Jin Master ate well, but Maeng Hyun ate with such enthusiasm that it delighted me.
Still, since the evaluation competition had not yet concluded, overeating was inadvisable.
As I was about to gently remonstrate, Young Gu Jin Master rebuked him first.
“Hey, eat in moderation. Do you have a bottomless pit for a stomach?”
“But it’s delicious. And when will an opportunity like this come again? I should eat while I can.”
“If you overeat and get sick, you’ll throw it all up anyway… doesn’t that seem wasteful?”
“Ah…”
I spoke with a smile.
“You can eat moderately. And opportunities like this will come often in the future.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I don’t lie about such things.”
I continued.
“And if you overeat and suffer from indigestion, it will be quite painful. You must think of what comes after.”
At my words, Maeng Hyun spoke.
“Ah… you speak just like my grandfather.”
“Your grandfather?”
At my question, Maeng Hyun nodded.
“My grandfather, who passed away a few years ago, always said that. That you must think of what comes after.”
“I see.”
I was glad the conversation had taken this turn.
“Now that you mention it, I’m curious. Young Master-in-law, how did you come to create White Egret Wine?”
At my question, Young Gu Jin Master scratched his head.
“Well, it’s like this….”

About six years ago, when he was a novice martial artist, he volunteered to be bait to save his fellow disciples.
“There was no other way back then. I couldn’t ask the others to take on that role either. That would be pushing them to their deaths, but I had the highest chance of survival among us.”
As bait, he ran along the mountain path until he eventually fell from a cliff.
“When I opened my eyes, an elder was nursing me back to health. I decided to stay there only until my leg injury healed.”
That elder’s name was Maeng Song.
There was a young child there—the grandson that Maeng Song’s son had brought when he returned home.
But not long after his return, the son died in an accident, leaving only the old man and his grandson.
“That’s when I tasted the liquor that Maeng Song made. It was the first time in my life I’d ever tasted anything like it. Captivated by that flavor, I asked him to teach me how to make it. He said he could only teach me if I became a member of the distillery.”
“So you declared to your family that you would renounce your position?”
“That’s right. Haha.”
Maeng Hyun chimed in from beside him.
“Actually, Grandfather always wanted Uncle Gu Jin to take over the distillery from the start. He said he’d never seen anyone so meticulous and organized.”
Maeng Hyun continued.
“Grandfather was always nagging about it. He said that cleanliness and organization come first to brew delicious liquor. He’d ask how customers could ever trust and drink liquor made without those things.”
At this, I smiled and spoke.
“My Grandfather is the same way. In fact, he always says the tea preparation area must always be kept clean. But when you think about it, it makes sense.”
I turned my head and asked Young Gu Jin Master.
“But do you happen to know how your master came to create White Egret Wine?”
“Yes. I heard that when he was young, he spent time in the Northern Sea and learned it there.”
“The Northern Sea… you say?”
“Yes. I don’t know much beyond that myself.”
Following that, Maeng Hyun added an explanation.
“When I was young, he told me something like this: if Grandfather died without leaving a successor, the lineage of White Egret Wine would be cut off. Then he’d be too ashamed to face the Palace Master who allowed him to learn the art of liquor-making, even in death.”
“…!”
Then White Egret Wine must certainly have been learned from Seolpung Palace.
“Then who gave White Egret Wine its name?”
“I heard the Palace Master who taught him the method of making it gave it that name.”
.
.
.
After finishing my meal, I returned to my room.
And I took out a bottle of liquor that I had stored in my secret vault.
Multiple layers of white paper sealed the opening, making it look like a white lotus flower.
A liquor that can only be made with ice lotus that grows in the Northern Sea—called ice lotus wine.
When Seolpung Palace was destroyed, the method of making this ice lotus wine was also lost.
This is eight hundred years old, a legacy left behind by my Ancestor.
The energy I felt from this liquor was remarkably similar to that of White Egret Wine.
Though the taste was somewhat different.
Now that I think about it… White Egret Wine is said to be “brewed,” while Ice Lotus Wine is said to be “steeped,” isn’t it?
Could it be…?
As I pondered this distinction, a hypothesis crystallized in my mind.
Ice Lotus Wine isn’t simply made from ice lotus.
It’s made by steeping ice lotus in already-prepared liquor—in other words, White Egret Wine.
And the liquor created this time is genuine White Egret Wine.
So if we have ice lotus, we can steep Ice Lotus Wine again?
But there’s still one mystery that remains unsolved.
Why didn’t the White Egret Wine brewed previously contain the essence of Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art, unlike this time?
What changed?
Then, suddenly, I recalled something Master had told me before.

“My father once said something like this: Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art can be achieved not through meditation techniques, but through cultivation practices.”
“Is that so? Through cultivation practices?”
“Yes. The method has been lost and is unknown, but from what I can recall, to achieve such cultivation, one must possess an upright heart and be free from attachments to that heart.”
“I see.”
“However, there are probably very few people without attachments in their hearts. So for the Small Guild Master and myself, cultivation practices are out of reach… we must diligently train in meditation techniques instead.”
“I understand…”

Perhaps brewing White Egret Wine was itself a form of cultivation practice.
Could that be it?
This time, Young Gu Jin Master learned that his family had not abandoned him.
It seemed he had been harboring regret toward his family and hesitation about whether the path he was taking was correct.
But when those worries were resolved this time, he achieved completion of the cultivation practice.
As a result, he was able to create genuine White Egret Wine.
That’s wonderful.
Master would be truly delighted if he knew.
And as the Lesser Palace Mistress of Seolpung Palace, this is good news for me as well.
The problem is, I don’t know the identities of those who destroyed Seolpung Palace, and I’m uncertain whether it’s safe to widely distribute White Egret Wine, a remnant of Seolpung Palace, without dealing with them.
Fortunately, since the liquor ban hasn’t been lifted yet, this wine will only be used in trade with foreign countries.
I need to think about how to resolve this issue before the liquor ban is lifted.
Just then, Palgap rushed urgently into my room.
“Young Master!”
“Ah, you startled me! Really! You scared me half to death!”
He’s been suppressing his presence so frequently now?
I quickly put away the Ice Lotus Wine in the secret vault as I spoke.
“What’s the matter?”
“An Eunuch Official has come from the Imperial Palace.”
An Eunuch Official here? What’s going on?
I quickly tidied my appearance and stepped outside.
“I have brought a gift bestowed upon you by His Imperial Majesty.”
A gift from the Emperor himself?
I immediately knelt and received the object the Eunuch Official offered with both hands.
“Please open it.”
The Emperor’s gift was a long box.
As I carefully opened it, I found ten small bottles inside.
Each bottle had a label attached, and the last one bore the inscription “White Egret Wine.”
So this was why the Emperor had collected all ten wines from the second evaluation competition.
“Are these spirits, perhaps?”
“Indeed. These are bestowed upon those who have labored for this liquor evaluation competition.”
“Your Imperial benevolence is boundless.”
It seemed the Emperor was showing favor, though I couldn’t quite fathom his intentions.
But what about these bottles? They looked rather plain.
Simply attaching paper labels to ordinary bottles lacked any elegance.
A brilliant idea suddenly struck me.
Since things had come to this, wouldn’t distinctive bottles tailored to each spirit sell far better?
But the real concern was how the White Egret Wine contained within would spread.
I turned to the Eunuch Official with a question.
“Might I ask to whom this wine has been delivered?”
“It has been delivered to those laboring for this evaluation competition and to officials of rank three and above.”
“….”
If that’s the case, the numbers aren’t so great… perhaps I can rest easy for now?
That was when it happened.
Patter, pitter-patter.
Ah, rain was falling.
I’d anticipated it, but why did it have to come now… my clothes would be soaked through.

* * *

The Minister of War returned home.
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Yes. Has anything unusual happened today?”
The attendant answered his question.
“No, sir. The household is at peace.”
“And Dan-i… is she well?”
At that question, the attendant bowed his head.
“When the rain began, her affliction started again… and she harmed herself.”
“…”
“We restrained her limbs as we had prepared beforehand, and fortunately she did not suffer serious injury.”
“You all suffer greatly because of my worthless daughter.”
“Please do not speak such words, sir.”
The Minister of War offered a bitter smile.
He had one daughter.
After bearing two sons in succession, he had finally been blessed with a daughter, and he had raised her with particular affection.
But one day.
Rain suddenly poured down, and his daughter returned drenched, and from that day forward she began to suffer from this affliction.
Whenever rain fell, she would begin to harm herself.
It had been like this for years now.
That his daughter had reached marriageable age was troubling enough, but he could not bear to watch his precious daughter suffer and wound herself.
“What is she doing now?”
“She continues to struggle, sir.”
Faint cries echoed through the house—surely his daughter’s screams.
Unable to understand what tormented her so, his heart ached all the more.
Then suddenly, he recalled the wine he had received today as a gift.
‘If I have her drink some wine, might she find some peace?’
When wine was bestowed without specific instructions, it meant one was free to drink it as one saw fit.
And in such cases, that included one’s family.
He recalled the wine that the evaluation competition’s guests had praised highly, saying it made their minds feel clear.
‘White Egret Wine, wasn’t it?’
He took out one bottle and handed it to the attendant.
“This is wine bestowed by the Emperor. Give it to Dan-i to drink.”
“Understood, sir.”

* * *

Day broke.
The rain that had fallen continuously through the night finally ceased at dawn.
Surely the rain wouldn’t cause problems with the liquor fermentation?
With such thoughts, I sent a letter to the Mudong Merchant Guild in Jiangsu Province. They were a merchant house famous for ceramics.
Just as dried persimmons taste better when they look appetizing, I wanted to create distinctive bottles for each type of liquor.
After that, I performed my breathing exercises and trained in martial arts.
Following breakfast, I used the spare time to study the Dae-Wol Kingdom language with Yong Min Warrior.
Then it happened.
“Young Master! Please come out at once!”
What’s going on?
I opened the door and stepped outside.
“What is it?”
“Well, you see… the Minister of War and his daughter have come looking for Young Gu Jin Master.”
What?
The Minister’s Daughter—the one with that condition?
Could Young Gusang be causing trouble again?
Wasn’t that matter already settled?
Why have they come?

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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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