The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 544

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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 544

Chapter 544. The Tal-myeong Guest (4)

We departed from Kaifeng and resumed our journey toward the Jegal Family Estate.
My competition with the Tal-myeong Guest was tilting in my favor.
I had saved a child from the Seyulgyeong Family carriage accident last time, whereas the Tal-myeong Guest had yet to perform any notable acts of virtue.
In truth, opportunities to perform righteous deeds don’t come around that frequently.
One could find them if actively searching, but we didn’t have time for such pursuits given our urgent schedule.
Our agreed deadline for this contest was our arrival at the Jegal Family Estate, and we weren’t far from that destination now.
Kaifeng lies to the north within Henan, and the Jegal Family Estate sits on the border between Henan and Hubei.
Perhaps that’s why the Tal-myeong Guest appeared anxious.
Whether it was obsession with winning or obsession with collecting the Tal-myeong Pearls, I couldn’t say.
I didn’t know how the Tal-myeong Guest became so fixated on collecting the pearls.
From what I’d heard before, it seemed to have started with something reasonably righteous.
“Tal-myeong Guest.”
“You called for me, Elder Brother?”
It felt good hearing him call me Elder Brother.
“You mentioned you’re searching for your missing Master, correct?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right, Elder Brother.”
“Is your purpose in traveling throughout the Empire to find your Master? Or is it to collect the Tal-myeong Pearls?”
“Of, of course… it’s to find my Master.”
“Yet why do you seem more obsessed with collecting the pearls?”
At my words, he scratched his cheek.
“Well… how should I put it? Finding my Master is my primary duty, and collecting the pearls is more of a hobby.”
“I see.”
I posed a question back to him.
“If that hobby were to interfere with your primary duty, yet you continued pursuing it regardless, what do you think would happen?”
“….”
The Tal-myeong Guest couldn’t answer.
He possessed enough sense to realize this, which is why he couldn’t answer readily.
“In such a case, there are two solutions.”
“What are they?”
“Either abandon the hobby. Or transform that hobby into your primary duty.”
“You’re saying this Tal-myeong Guest should either stop collecting the pearls, or put the search for my Master aside and make my activities as the Tal-myeong Guest my primary purpose?”
“You understood perfectly. And your words were rather brief for someone who hasn’t yet reached the Jegal Family Estate.”
“…Ahem. My apologies.”
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him and opened my mouth.
“If you cannot abandon your activities as the Tal-myeong Guest, then your desire to find Master must not be so urgent. And while Master has guided you to such heights, it seems your devotion to him extends only so far.”
“…!”
The Tal-myeong Guest’s eyes wavered.
I left it at that and said nothing more.
He needed time to reflect on his own.
Pushing without allowing him space for introspection could backfire.
As we continued walking, Seo-woo Warrior spoke.
“It appears we shall have to sleep under the stars tonight.”
“That seems wise.”
There were no suitable lodgings along today’s path.
Rather than risk sleeping in some dubious place, finding a proper spot for an open-air camp would be far more comfortable.
We found an appropriate location and prepared for the night, with Palgap starting a fire and beginning to roast dried meat.
The dried meat we’d purchased in Kaifeng, when lightly roasted, becomes a true delicacy.
I looked up at the Tal-myeong Guest.
Ever since I’d posed that question to him, he’d worn an expression of deep contemplation.
“Tal-myeong Guest, younger brother.”
“Yes, Elder Brother.”
I handed him a skewer with roasted dried meat and spoke.
“Contemplation is valuable, but sustenance is equally important. An empty stomach clouds the mind, after all.”
“Thank you.”
He accepted the skewer from me.
I too took up a skewer and began to eat.
The mushrooms Palgap had gathered and arranged between the meat strips doubled the flavor.
“Delicious!”
“Young Master’s satisfaction makes gathering these mushrooms worthwhile.”
The mushrooms Palgap had found possessed a texture similar to meat while enhancing the dish’s flavor.
Known also for their fever-reducing properties, these mushrooms grow peculiarly only on ancient willows.
And rarely at that.
So I found it curious.
“These mushrooms only grow on willows. Was there a willow grove in this mountain region?”
To gather mushrooms of this quantity, there would need to be five or six ancient willows.
Willows typically grow in wetlands and valleys.
In other words, abundant water was necessary.
But the path we’d traveled showed no such abundance of water to support a willow grove.
“Now that I think of it, it is strange. That willow grove was not in a valley or anything like that—just an ordinary mountain.”
“Really?”
Curiosity stirred within me.
“Shall we take a look?”
And so I set out with Palgap and Seo-woo Warrior toward the place where Palgap had gathered the mushrooms.
But the Tal-myeong Guest followed us.
“Why don’t you just rest, Tal-myeong Guest? Why follow along?”
He answered my question.
“I’ve become curious as well.”
“It seems your worries have ended.”
“Well… yes, that’s true.”
He scratched the back of his neck.
“Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. If Master saw me like this, I think he would sigh at my immaturity.”
He continued, letting out a sigh.
“I said that my purpose in wandering this Empire was to find Master, but in reality, I had forgotten that. Perhaps I was so exhausted from searching for Master that I unconsciously wanted to turn away from it.”
His voice carried a melancholic tone.
My activities as the Tal-myeong Guest may have stemmed from a desire to escape the pressure and sense of obligation to find Master.
It’s difficult.
Seeing him reminded me of Peng Kang-un Minor Patriarch of the Hebei Peng Clan.
He too had wandered the Empire searching for his uncle. During that time, he faced countless threats to his life.
Now I hear he’s a promising Minor Patriarch in his family.
I hope he continues to grow and safely inherits the position of Patriarch.
After all, he is my reliable contractor and ally.
“So I…”
Just then, Palgap pointed to a location.
“That’s where I gathered the mushrooms from.”
It was an ordinary mountain slope.
There was no place where water pooled, and without a valley, it wasn’t a location where willow groves should grow.
Yet a willow grove existed there.
Moreover, it was the kind of willow that loves water dearly.
I approached the willows and placed my hand on the tree.
It was moist.
In other words, this place had abundant water.
Where exactly was the water?
A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I concentrated my inner energy on my ears.
Various sounds of nature reached me.
The chirping of birds.
The rustling of leaves in the wind.
And the sound of flowing water.
Water!
I could clearly hear the sound of water flowing.
That meant water flowed beneath this ground.
Water flowing underground wasn’t particularly unusual, but from within it came a sound that shouldn’t be heard.
“Ugh… ugh…”
This was the sound of someone groaning?
“A problem has arisen.”
At my words, Seo-woo Warrior asked.
“Why is that, sir?”
“Water is flowing beneath us. But I can hear someone’s groans mixed in with the sound.”
“Pardon?”
“Could you have misheard, sir?”
At Palgap’s words, I shook my head.
“No, it was far too vivid to be a mistake. I heard someone pleading to the heavens for help.”
I couldn’t simply pass by after hearing something like that.
This would delay our journey somewhat, but I had an uneasy feeling about it.
There was a sense that I absolutely had to save that person.
“What will you do, sir?”
The Tal-myeong Guest answered my question.
“Didn’t you say earlier not to confuse the order of priorities?”
“You remembered that.”
Yes, that was the most important reason.
Besides, I had the ability to save someone, so there was no reason to hesitate.
I immediately returned to where we had been resting and explained the situation to the group.
“I apologize for asking such a favor of you all.”
“Please don’t mention it.”
“We merely follow our lord’s commands.”
Palgap and Chang-un Warrior decided to stay behind and guard the horses and supplies, while the rest of us began searching the area near where I had heard the sound.
If my instincts were correct, there had to be a cave entrance somewhere nearby.
“Chirp?”
Just then, Geum-ryeong perked up his ears and poked his head out from my sleeve.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Chirp! Chirp!”
Hmm? You’re sensing the aura of money from down there?
“Chirp!”
The aura of money, not something expensive….
But if Geum-ryeong is stepping forward like this, doesn’t that mean he knows the passage too?
“Geum-ryeong, can you find the way to get there?”
“Chirp? Chirp.”
“You don’t know the path, just the location?”
Just as I was about to feel disappointed, Geum-ryeong spoke again.
“Chirp! Chirp!”
Hmm? What am I supposed to do with Hyun Ro-do?
Hyun Ro-do?
At Geum-ryeong’s words, I unfolded the Hyun Ro-do as I spoke.
“But the Hyun Ro-do only shows the safe path to the destination, doesn’t it?”
Chirp.
My words seemed to displease Hyun Ro-do, as one corner of his form crumpled slightly.
Hmm?
Wait… a safe path to the destination?
The destination.
Ah, that’s right!
It’s not just about going to the Jegal Family Estate from here—I’m also going to rescue someone calling for help from beneath the earth. That’s all part of reaching my destination.
I quickly apologized to Hyun Ro-do.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t fully understand your abilities. Right now, I’m trying to rescue someone trapped inside this cave. How should I proceed?”
In that moment, the map disappeared and a different image appeared.
It was the terrain around the mountain slope where we stood.
Soon, a red line began marking the path we needed to take.
“Wow, Hyun Ro-do! Your ability is truly remarkable.”
Without any wind, one corner of his form fluttered.
He seemed embarrassed by the praise.
I memorized the route Hyun Ro-do showed me, then gathered the others.
“I’ve found the way. Please follow me.”
Thus, I took the lead and headed toward the entrance Hyun Ro-do had indicated.
“Is this truly the right place?”
The Tal-myeong Guest had good reason to ask.
A massive boulder blocked the way ahead.
“Yes.”
I nodded with certainty.
If Hyun Ro-do showed me this path, it meant this was the safest route.
Seo-woo Warrior stepped forward.
“I’ll open the way.”
“Please be as quiet as possible, just in case.”
“Understood.”
Seo-woo Warrior formed a blade of energy and carefully began cutting through the boulder.
Breaking it apart all at once could create too much noise and might trigger a rockslide.
The rock fragments Seo-woo Warrior chiseled away were carefully caught by Lee Pil Warrior and Myeong-jong Warrior, who gently lowered them down.
After creating an opening large enough for a person to pass through, I examined what lay inside.
A remarkably spacious cave.
“It’s quite dark in there.”
No light penetrated into that space.
And as dusk was slowly falling, entering would mean absolute darkness where I couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
Of course, darkness alone wouldn’t prevent us from moving.
But it would consume considerable inner energy, and visibility wouldn’t be nearly as good as in daylight.
Entering a dark place recklessly wasn’t a wise choice, so I needed something to provide light.
With that in mind, I rummaged through my pocket and retrieved the Night Luminous Pearl.
Seeing this, the Tal-myeong Guest was startled.
“Gasp! Isn’t that a Night Luminous Pearl?”
“Indeed it is.”
When I pulled out a few more, he was visibly startled.
“Gasp!”
“Is this your first time seeing a Night Luminous Pearl?”
“Well, not exactly, but having seven of them is certainly cause for astonishment, wouldn’t you say?”
“Hmm, I suppose you have a point.”
“And the pouch you’ve been keeping them in is quite remarkable as well.”
I let out a soft chuckle.
“This is a token of regard from someone of considerable standing above us.”
This pouch was a treasure bestowed by the Emperor himself, and I’ve found it quite useful.
Then I retrieved a pouch I had prepared beforehand.
It was fashioned from coarsely woven cloth with a long cord attached.
“Place the Night Luminous Pearl in this cloth, loop the cord around your neck, and your hands will remain free.”
“That seems quite practical.”
With our preparations complete, we entered the space behind the rocks.
Splash, splash.
Seeing water pooled abundantly here, it was clear this was where the willows above drew their moisture.
A small stream flowed beside us.
We proceeded in the direction the water was flowing.
To the eye, there seemed to be no incline, yet the flowing water suggested otherwise.
We walked carefully through the cave.
This region was abundant with rocky mountains, so such caves would have formed naturally.
How long had we been walking?
“…!”
I raised my hand, signaling the group to stop.
I could sense the aura of the Black Path from quite a distance ahead.
I hadn’t felt it from above earlier, but as we ventured deeper into the cave, it became apparent.
The aura of the Black Path in such a hidden cave?
What in the world was happening here?
I soon understood why Hyun Ro-do had guided us this way.
The other path would surely have guards stationed, maintaining strict vigilance.
Attempting to breach that route might make it difficult to aid whoever had been groaning.
I calmly gave instructions.
“There appear to be dangerous individuals ahead. For now, refrain from using the Night Luminous Pearl.”
At my words, the Tal-myeong Guest began to untie the cord to return the pearl.
But I shook my head and handed him a different pouch instead.
“It may be needed later, so return it once we’re safe. This pouch is designed to block light. Wrap the Night Luminous Pearl in it and keep it inside your clothes.”
“Understood.”
With the pearl’s light concealed, we proceeded cautiously forward.
Inside were several small caves, and iron bars were embedded at the entrance of each one.
A prison.
I would need to subdue those guarding this place first.
There was no way those reeking of such a vile Black Path aura would be keeping this prison for any righteous purpose.
Moreover, among them were those bearing the stench of blood mixed with the Black Path’s corruption.
I issued orders to everyone through sound transmission.
Then I unleashed my energy to extinguish the flames that had been illuminating the cave in one swift motion.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The moment the flames died, we all rushed at those guarding the prison simultaneously.

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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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