The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 506

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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 506

Chapter 506. The Critic’s Murder Case (5)

I led Namgung Yang to a nearby inn.
No matter how favorably I assessed him or how we’d agreed to conduct business, I had no desire to bring him to our Beijing Branch.
My trust in him remained insufficient, but more than that, I despised the thought of Namgung Family members entering the Beijing Branch.
Am I too narrow-minded?
In the current Murim, the Namgung Family’s standing reaches toward the heavens themselves.
Naturally, the attitudes of those belonging to it are arrogant beyond measure.
Would such people regard merchants favorably?
They would swagger through the Beijing Branch as they pleased.
I could never tolerate such a sight.
Moreover, Namgung Kang, the Merchant Guild Leader who killed me in the past, belonged to this family, and the League Master who issued those orders was the Previous Family Head of the Namgung Family.
Honestly, I wanted to pretend I knew nothing of it.
But as a merchant, I could not afford such luxury.
Still, I brought him to a reasonably high-class inn.
It felt like lying on a pile of firewood with gall in my mouth. Damn it.
I calmed my mind and observed the situation with cold clarity.
That Namgung Yeon, the spiritual mentor of Namgung Yang, had been unjustly accused was certainly the machinations of someone within the Namgung Family.
Moreover, he had endured contempt for a long time.
Therefore, though Namgung Yang belonged to the Namgung Family, he harbored discontent toward it.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my ally.
Thus, drawing him to my side for the sake of revenge was entirely justified.
I spoke with a gentle smile.
“This way, please.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ve sent a messenger to the Namgung Family Residence. They will come here to retrieve you.”
“Th-thank you.”
His expression grew reluctant at my words.
When he came to Beijing for the Poetry Competition, he had not come alone, it seemed.
Indeed, the Family Head would never have sent him to Beijing unaccompanied.
Whether for protection or surveillance, Guard Warriors and attendants would have accompanied him.
Naturally, the Namgung Family maintained a residence here in Beijing, and Namgung Yang had been staying there.
This was also why the Namgung Family had learned of the situation so quickly.
But… shouldn’t they provide provisions to their young master imprisoned in the Prison?
I had noticed it when I brought him rice cakes before.
He was not eating properly.
To be honest, the meals provided to those imprisoned in the Prison are hardly worth calling food.
Though they likely gave him adequate portions out of respect for his status as a son of the Namgung Family, there was no way such meager fare could satisfy a young man in his prime.
I could sense the attitude of the Attendants and Guard Warriors who served him.
He was the child of the seventeenth concubine, so they wanted to mistreat him, yet the House Master favored him, making that impossible.
They would have served him only to the extent that they wouldn’t face reprimand, and Namgung Yang surely didn’t trust them.
After all, they might be acting under the orders of one of his brothers to harm him.
Ah! Perhaps Namgung Yang had even forbidden them from visiting the Prison. They might poison his food.
Somehow, it felt pitiful.
“Before others arrive, let’s have a conversation.”
“Ah, yes!”
I brought Namgung Yang to the Inn for the sake of having a candid discussion.
Though having it at the County Office would have been awkward too.
We entered the Guest Room.
He seemed slightly uncomfortable in this rather luxurious chamber.
We sat facing each other across a table.
“First, regarding the whereabouts of Namgung Yang on that night—the ones you haven’t mentioned—we’ve already coordinated our story.”
“What?”
“That night, you went to the Wolseon House nearby and were rejected by a Gisaeng before returning.”
At my words, he blinked rapidly before opening his mouth.
“Ah, no, but even so, a pleasure house is….”
“Isn’t that the only way to explain why you’ve kept your mouth shut all this time? You can say you didn’t mention it out of embarrassment.”
“…I, I see.”
“It shouldn’t be a serious matter. Just say you were curious because the adults around you seemed interested in women, so you went to see. They’ll simply regard it as a minor indiscretion and move on.”
Whoever comes looking will probably accept that explanation.
All the brothers of the Namgung Family Head have quite extensive romantic histories, after all.
“Well, they might later invite you to visit a pleasure house together, but at that point, simply make an excuse and decline. Say you were embarrassed at the time, and have now decided to abstain from such pleasures until you achieve your goals.”
“I understand.”
“Of course, if you want to go, you’re free to do so.”
“Ah, no! I have no such intention!”
Do you know how much money I spent creating that evidence?
Yes, this is all an investment.
But if Namgung Yang isn’t the culprit, then who exactly killed Na Jung-su?
Someone of first-rate martial skill trained in the Namgung Family’s techniques….
What would the Namgung Family’s reaction be if they learned that one of their own had committed murder for hire?
Just then, I heard Seo-woo Warrior’s voice from beyond the door.
“My lord, someone from the Namgung Family Residence has arrived.”
“Ah, have them come in.”
Saying so, I sent a telepathic message to Namgung Yang.
– Don’t forget our agreement, and execute it flawlessly. If you make a mistake, it becomes my problem too.
– I understand.
.
.
.
The next day.
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster came to find me.
“Good morning.”
“Yes, it is a good morning.”
Yet Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster’s expression suggested otherwise.
“Is something the matter?”
“People from the Namgung Family have arrived.”
“Ah, I see.”
“So I told them to come to the County Office. However, they’re asking me to visit the Namgung Family Residence directly.”
“Pardon?”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
So they’re trying to engage in a contest of wills right now?
How absurd.
Namgung Yang has currently been cleared of suspicion.
If we humble ourselves and visit them, we’ll hear “well done” instead of “thank you.”
“Regardless of him being the Namgung Family Head’s brother, I too am an executive of the Geumui Guard. If we go there, it would damage the Emperor’s dignity… what should we do?”
Wait, Great Swordmaster.
Why are you asking me this?
If you keep doing this, I’ll be in considerable difficulty.
But I can’t simply claim ignorance either—all my effort would be wasted.
After a moment of thought, a clever idea came to me.
“Great Swordmaster Jin-yeong. You still have the analysis of the victim’s wounds, correct?”
“Of course.”
“Send them a messenger. Tell them: ‘Our analysis of the victim’s wounds confirms beyond doubt that the Namgung Family’s martial techniques were used. Therefore, we demand accountability and require immediate appearance at the County Office. Should you fail to appear, this will be considered as the Namgung Family’s abandonment of responsibility for its members. Henceforth, any apprehended Namgung Family member will be punished without notification to the family.'”
At my words, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster’s eyes gleamed.
“Oh! His Majesty told me to seek you out whenever matters become difficult, and it seems his words were indeed wise.”
“Pardon? Who said such a thing?”
“The Emperor himself.”
…
I quietly looked up toward the sky and took a deep breath.
Then I lowered my gaze and spoke.
“In that case, I shall go to the Poetry Competition Venue.”
“No need. You’ll come with me to the County Office. I’ve already informed the Crown Prince, so you needn’t go there.”
He’s thorough in the most unnecessary places.

I headed to the County Office with Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
And I composed and sent a letter to the representative who came from the Namgung Family.
Exactly one hour later.
“Ahem! Harrumph!”
A middle-aged man visited the County Office.
“I am Elder Namgung Geon-ji, representing the Namgung Family Head.”
“Thank you for coming all this way. I am Jin-yeong.”
Just as I had anticipated.
There was no way he wouldn’t come after receiving such a letter.
So why engage in this pointless display of pride?
Had he simply come willingly, he wouldn’t have made such a fool of himself.
I swallowed my laughter and greeted him.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Eun Seo-ho, Small Guild Master of the Eun Hae Trading Company.”
“Hmm? What is a merchant doing here? Tsk tsk, can’t you even distinguish where you don’t belong?”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster responded gently to that rebuke.
“In the martial world, this person is known as Seon Hyeop Mi-rang.”
“…!”
“I requested their presence here to borrow that reputation.”
I added a remark to that.
“Undeservedly, the Alliance Leader himself bestowed upon me the title of Seon Hyeop Mi-rang.”
In truth, I had been called that even before, but that’s not what matters now.
What matters is humbling that arrogant pride.
“Ah, is that so? Harrumph, my apologies.”
“Not at all.”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster spoke.
“Then, shall we step inside and discuss this matter?”
“Yes, let us do so.”
We proceeded to the Guest Reception Room of the County Office, and a maidservant brought tea.
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster spoke first.
“As conveyed in the letter, we discovered traces of the Namgung Family’s martial techniques in the evidence from the victim’s murder.”
He responded with composure, as if prepared.
“How can you be certain those traces belong to our main family’s techniques?”
“It seems I appeared less skilled than I am. I too have spent many years honing my blade. And I have crossed swords with countless martial artists.”
He continued.
“As you know, the Namgung Family’s martial techniques have distinctive characteristics. We examined them carefully and determined the traces indeed belong to the Namgung Family’s techniques.”
“Hmm….”
Elder Namgung Geon-ji fell silent, at a loss for words.
“And I believe the Namgung Family must bear responsibility for this matter.”
“What do you mean by responsibility?”
“Should we not apprehend the murderer who used the Namgung Family’s martial techniques?”
“….”
Namgung Geon-ji paused in thought for a moment, then nodded.
“That is naturally something our main house must do.”
Is that really an answer worth deliberating over?
After all, overseeing those who have learned the martial techniques of the Namgung Family is their responsibility as well.
I sent a silent message to Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
– Now.
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster nodded subtly and continued speaking naturally.
“It was quite difficult to prove the innocence of Young Master Namgung Yang, who had been falsely accused as the culprit.”
“Ah, I’ve heard. You went to considerable effort, I understand.”
“In truth, uncovering the real culprit is the duty of both the County Office and ourselves, and we simply fulfilled that duty….”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster looked at Namgung Geon-ji and continued.
“Have you not felt something through this incident?”
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean.”
“Then allow me to speak more directly and clearly.”
“I’m listening.”
“The Emperor is a man of justice and fairness. Though he may find it vexing that the martial world continually encroaches upon imperial territory, he is not one to persecute out of personal grievance.”
Now came the conclusion.
“In other words, the Emperor’s current pressure upon the martial world exists for good reason.”
“….”
“Therefore, when the Emperor shows mercy, I would hope your side refrains from further encroachment into imperial affairs.”
What the Emperor seeks to obtain through this matter.
It is a warning: do not overstep.
“I earnestly ask that this message be conveyed without misunderstanding.”
They must take the Emperor’s warning seriously.
Because the Emperor follows through when he decides to act.
If he so wished, hundreds of thousands of imperial soldiers would march to subjugate the martial world.
Wait—could it be that their constant meddling in imperial affairs is precisely to control those imperial soldiers for themselves?
I dismissed the thought, but no matter how I considered it, something felt off.
Given what I knew from my previous life, this was not something to overlook lightly.
If the Empress’s death, the elevation of one of the imperial concubines to Empress, and the Emperor’s gradual neglect of state affairs due to his grief—if all of this had been orchestrated to seize control of those hundreds of thousands of imperial soldiers?
Suddenly, I recalled those whom Seon-il Elder Brother had eliminated when observing the past.
The meticulous and secretive nature of the plan that began then sent chills down my spine.
Damn… these are terrifying bastards.
But was that truly all?
There seemed to be some other purpose beyond that.
After concluding our conversation—tinged with subtle power plays and veiled threats—the Namgung Family members returned to their residence in Beijing.
Then Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster spoke to me.
“You’ve had a long day.”
“You’re too kind to say so.”
“Merit is proportional to effort, as they say. Thanks to you, we didn’t have to bow to their demands. If we’d followed their intentions, we would have faced the Emperor’s rebuke.”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster trembled visibly.
“Ugh! Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.”
I understood that feeling well enough.
“In any case, now that Namgung Yang has been acquitted, the investigation is back to square one.”
“True, but please don’t lose heart. This also means we now have a genuine chance to catch the real culprit, doesn’t it?”
“That’s fair.”
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”
I left the County Office and headed toward the Poetry Competition Venue.
As the representative of the Merchant Guild hosting the Poetry Competition, I had to show my face no matter how busy I was.

Given the sheer number of participants in the Poetry Competition, even just the first preliminary round took several days to complete.
The judges certainly had their hands full.
Namgung Yang would be able to compete in the Poetry Competition tomorrow. Since he’d come to Beijing under that pretext, he couldn’t very well skip it.
“We’ll conclude the third day of the first preliminaries here.”
The moderator made this announcement when it came time for dinner.
The participants dispersed in small groups to eat and chat among themselves.
I exchanged greetings with the judges and finished coordinating several matters before I could finally leave the venue.
That’s when Song Rok approached me.
“Excuse me, Small Guild Master.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I’ve figured it out.”
At those words, all the fatigue from the day vanished in an instant.
Whether or not I knew who the culprit was, I’d make sure they paid dearly for the trouble they’d caused me.

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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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