The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 505

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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 505

Chapter 505. The Critic’s Murder Case (4)

I had no choice but to ask Chun-il again.
“Are you saying that Namgung Yang’s life is in danger because he is currently a suspect in the murder case?”
“Hardly.”
Indeed, his life wouldn’t be in danger for such a reason.
“May I sit down?”
“Ah, yes.”
Palgap, who had been sitting beside me, quickly stood up with keen perception and yielded his seat, and Chun-il sat down next to me.
“First, let me explain the background. Namgung Yang is the son of the House Master’s seventeenth wife.”
So he already has seventeen wives. No, considering Namgung Yang’s age, there must be far more than that.
Before I died in my previous life, didn’t the Namgung Family Head have around forty wives?
In any case, the Namgung Family Head’s affairs with women were quite notorious.
However, only three were officially recognized as wives, and the rest were all concubines.
He only reluctantly accepted as wives those women he had touched who became pregnant.
After all, he couldn’t abandon the bloodline of the House Master outside the family.
Which also meant he had touched far more women than that.
He even became a topic of gossip when, well past sixty, he took a twelve-year-old girl as a wife.
I wondered if he even remembered all their faces.
Chun-il continued.
“It seems that Namgung Yang showed exceptional talent from a young age.”
“Is that so?”
“As you know, the Namgung Family’s principle is the survival of the strongest. That is, the strongest among the direct bloodline of the House Master becomes the next House Master.”
Ah….
I began to understand the situation.
“Because Namgung Yang’s martial talent is exceptional, the House Master favors him greatly… but this has sparked the competitive spirit and jealousy of his other brothers.”
“So the other brothers are constantly watching for an opportunity to kill him?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
In my previous life, this was the reason Namgung Yang devoted himself to such trivial pursuits.
If he revealed his talent further and died, his mother would naturally grieve, and he would certainly be cast out from the Namgung Family.
Honestly, the only reason Namgung Yang’s mother could live in the Namgung Family now was because she had given birth to him.
So if Namgung Yang died, she would have no further value, and they would undoubtedly give her some money and cast her out.
Sigh, why are there so many families I dislike….
Hearing this story, I suddenly thought of the Deuk-haeng Merchant Leader’s son.
He was the seventeenth son of the Deuk-haeng Merchant Leader.
Hmm, there’s something about the number seventeen….
How is the Inn operating these days? I should visit sometime.
Now I understood why he wanted his martial level kept secret.
If it became known that he was a Peak Martial Artist, his life would only become more exhausting.
Still….
To possess talent yet lack the environment to cultivate it.
Talent?
The thought struck me, and I asked Chun-il.
“What of Namgung Yang’s talent for poetry and prose?”
“Nonexistent.”
“Pardon?”
“Even if he competed, he would likely fail in the preliminary rounds.”
Now that I thought about it….
Namgung Yang had not expressed any great disappointment about being unable to participate in the Poetry Competition.
Then could the Poetry Competition have been merely a pretext to come to Beijing?
Members of the Namgung Family could not leave Anhui Province without the House Master’s permission.
If so, then his undisclosed activities last night must be his true purpose for coming to Beijing.
“Is there perhaps some connection between Namgung Yang and Beijing?”
“A connection….”
“Or even a connection with the Namgung Family would suffice.”
After a moment’s thought, Chun-il answered.
“Ah, now that you mention it, that person is in Beijing.”
“That person?”
“The younger brother of the Previous Family Head who was expelled from the Namgung Family.”
.
.
.
Some time later.
After finishing the gathering at Yeoji House and my meeting with Chun-il, I returned to the Beijing Branch.
“Young Master, it is time for you to rest.”
“There is still work to be done….”
Palgap spoke to my protest.
“I shall wake you early tomorrow morning, so it would be best to sleep now. Whether you sleep now and wake early, or sleep late and wake at your usual time, the hours you work remain the same, do they not?”
“….”
I had no response.
I obediently washed and changed into my sleeping clothes before lying on the bed.
“Whoosh!”
Palgap extinguished the lamp and left.
Lying in bed, I recalled what Chun-il had told me earlier.
The younger brother of the Namgung Family’s Previous Family Head….
That would make him the brother of the Murim Alliance Leader, and the Small Grandfather of Namgung Yang.
Ah!
A memory from my previous life surfaced—I had heard about him before.
His name was Namgung Yeon.
I didn’t know the details, but he had committed a grave crime and was expelled from the family.
And naturally, his martial arts were crippled as well. That is, his dantian was destroyed.
Despite being cast out, I heard he lived in Beijing and eventually died of old age.
Yet he’s still alive…
Hmm?
That’s unusual for someone whose dantian was destroyed to live so long.
Martial artists tend to live longer than ordinary people because they cultivate inner energy.
But when inner energy is crippled, the backlash weakens the body and hastens death.
Considering that, it’s remarkable that Namgung Yeon lived such a long life.
Could there be some special method involved?
In any case, if Namgung Yang met with Namgung Yeon last night, his silence makes perfect sense.
Meeting with the family’s criminal!
That alone would warrant severe censure—there’s no excuse for it.
This seems most likely. Should I probe him about it?

The next morning.
As I was preparing to leave after breakfast, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster came to find me.
“I pay my respects, Great Swordmaster. Good morning.”
“Yes, it is a fine morning.”
“But to visit so early—is something the matter?”
He nodded at my question.
“The Namgung Family has sent someone.”
“Pardon? From the Namgung Family?”
“Yes. The Namgung Family sent the House Master’s younger brother as their representative, and he should arrive around tomorrow.”
Though Namgung Yang is a bastard son, he remains a member of the Namgung Family and one of the current House Master’s favored children.
As such, it’s fitting they dispatch someone directly to handle the matter.
So Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster will deal with him.
Since it’s not the Namgung Family Head himself, but merely his brother, there’s no need for anyone of higher standing than Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster to step forward.
“So tell me—how is the investigation progressing?”
“I shall organize the situation and visit you this afternoon with a report.”
“Very well.”
I hurried toward the County Office.
Time was running short.

I soon arrived at the County Office and headed straight for the Prison.
“Young Master Namgung Yang.”
“Seonhyeop Mirang Great Swordmaster. You’ve come again.”
I had no time to waste, so I got straight to the point.
– Have you met with Small Grandfather Namgung Yeon?
“…!”
At my transmission, his face went rigid and pale.
Yes, that’s the answer!
– And the real reason you came to Beijing was to meet him, wasn’t it? The Poetry Competition was merely a pretext.
“….”
Watching him bite his lip, I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
“Tsk, tsk.”
“…?”
I let out a sigh.
– To reveal your emotions so easily—how do you expect to survive in the Namgung Family?
– That’s… true.
I explained the situation to him.
“Tomorrow, someone from the Namgung Family will arrive.”
“What?”
“The Family Head’s younger brother is coming, I hear.”
At my words, he gripped the bars and sent me a transmission.
– Please, I beg you! Do not reveal that, no matter what!
I regarded him quietly, then asked.
– Then tell me why you met with him.
– That is….
– If you won’t even tell me that, I’ll have no choice but to expose all of your secrets. Surely you understand—I cannot punish the innocent.
“….”
After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.
– I understand.
– Let me add, I am a merchant. So I am quite skilled at discerning truth from falsehood.
I smiled faintly.
– Therefore, don’t even think of deceiving me from the start. My nature is quite vile, and if you do, I’ll truly expose everything.
At my words, he flinched and trembled.
Hmm? Why is he suddenly like that?
Young Master Namgung Yang sent me a transmission.
– In truth, the reason Small Grandfather was expelled from the family was because he was accused of being the culprit in the massacre of a nearby village. But I know it was a frame-up.
He explained the circumstances to me.
When Young Master Namgung Yang was still a child, before his talents had fully awakened, Small Grandfather was his refuge where he could breathe.
Learning martial arts from him, he made rapid progress and even earned the family’s expectations.
It wasn’t official, but it seemed to be an informal master-disciple relationship.
One day, Namgung Yeon was accused of massacring the residents of a nearby village, and a trial was held within the family.
Concerned for him, Namgung Yang visited the Prison where Small Grandfather was being held in secret.
– There, I was able to hear the truth from Small Grandfather. He said he discovered that place while pursuing a member of the Black Path. And he said going there was a trap.
– So he was falsely accused and suffered for it?
– Yes.
He continued.
– But Small Grandfather told me to keep this fact to myself alone. He said if I spoke of it, I would meet the same fate as Small Grandfather.
“….”
– And Small Grandfather asked me to visit him before he dies if possible. He said there was something he must convey to me.
– So you did meet him?
– Yes. But I cannot tell you what Small Grandfather conveyed to me.
– I understand.
When I readily accepted this, his eyes widened instead.
– Why do you look at me that way?
– I thought you would press me several more times….
I chuckled softly.
– Asking about secrets passed between master and disciple goes against the way of the Murim, does it not?
At my words, he scratched his cheek.
– Thank you.
In any case, this matter cannot be used as evidence now.
Hmm, was the Emperor right after all?
I gazed at him while sighing inwardly.
What shone in those bright, sparkling eyes was hope and passion for life.
From what I heard in my previous life, he devoted himself to worthless trivial pursuits and lacked motivation in all things, so the Namgung Family Head eventually abandoned hope in him.
Could it be that in my previous life, he had no way to come to Beijing, and ultimately never met Small Grandfather?
And perhaps he lost his passion, discouraged by his circumstances and exhausted by his brothers’ interference.
But now, things were different from my previous life.
I had organized a poetry competition for Song Rok, and this time it was held across the entire Empire.
Still, among the members of the Namgung Family, this one showed considerable promise.
And it wouldn’t be bad to owe a favor to one of the Namgung Family members.
Though he was illegitimate and his brothers threatened his life, he possessed such talent and that gleam in his eyes.
Moreover, the clear aura I felt from him made my mood brighten without my knowing it.
A talent worth looking forward to.
– Namgung Yang.
– Ah, yes.
– Would you like to make a deal with me?

* * *

Namgung Yang exhaled deeply.
He couldn’t fathom how the situation had spiraled into this, yet he couldn’t deny that it wasn’t entirely unfavorable for him.
Being alone in the quiet confines of the Prison, he could organize and consolidate everything his Small Grandfather, Namgung Yeon, had imparted to him.
And his Small Grandfather had impressed upon him most earnestly.

“You must not trust your grandfather.”

His grandfather—the former Namgung Family Head and current Murim Alliance Leader.
Unable to comprehend why he should distrust the spiritual pillar of the Orthodox Martial Arts World, he had pressed for an explanation, but Namgung Yeon had merely sighed and replied.
“For now, do not ask why.”
Namgung Yang could ask no further.
Something told him that pressing the matter would be unwise.
‘But how exactly does he intend to resolve this?’
He gazed toward the spot where Eun Seo-ho had just stood.
‘That Great Swordmaster is truly enigmatic.’
Somehow, he knew of that night’s events—the very secret Namgung Yang had wished to keep hidden.
In truth, he had intended to deceive him about his dealings with Namgung Yeon.
But at his warning, an involuntary chill had run down his spine.
And instinctively, he had understood.
Ignoring Eun Seo-ho’s words would exact a terrible price.
So he had spoken the truth.
He had honestly expected Eun Seo-ho to press further about what Namgung Yeon had taught him.
But Eun Seo-ho had not.
He had merely proposed a transaction.

“I’ll have you acquitted.”
“Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“No. I mean I’ll have you acquitted while keeping that secret.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Of course. But this is a transaction. As such, you must fulfill what I desire in return.”
“W-what do you want?”
“You’ll need to help me when I ask.”
“Is that truly all?”
“Yes.”
“….”
“Someone dispatched from your household arrives tomorrow, and you wouldn’t want to appear pathetic before them, would you?”
“O-of course not.”
Faced with that proposal, he had no choice but to affix his seal to the contract Eun Seo-ho drafted and presented right there.
How many hours had passed since then?
Before long, the sun was setting. Just then, a Prison Guard approached him and spoke.
“Young Master Namgung Yang. Come out.”
“What?”
“Your innocence has been proven. Congratulations.”
He couldn’t fathom how many hours had elapsed since signing that contract before his acquittal was granted.
As he emerged from the Prison in a daze, Eun Seo-ho greeted him warmly.
“You’ve endured much.”
For some reason, my body trembled involuntarily at that gentle smile.

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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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