The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 556

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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 556

Chapter 556. The Test (4)

Won Eop Group Leader asked at my words.
“Is that… truly the case?”
“Yes.”
“What is this antidote method you speak of?”
“Well…”
As I hesitated without answering, he asked urgently.
“Why are you doing this? Why do you start to speak and then stop?”
“The antidote method is rather… unconventional. It is indeed a legitimate remedy, but you might think I’m mocking the Great Heroes.”
I sighed.
“If that happens, we’ll all be too embarrassed to face each other, so it would be better to simply endure for five days, painful as it may be.”
At my words, he urgently grabbed my sleeve.
“Ugh! You’re telling us this to help us detoxify—how could we possibly misunderstand your intentions?”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely certain!”
“True enough. If you harbored resentment over someone offering a cure, you wouldn’t deserve a place in the Murim Alliance.”
“That’s… exactly right!”
I looked at the other Group Members and asked.
“Do you all feel the same way?”
“Yes, we do.”
“We’ll do whatever you ask—please, just do something about this stomach pain.”
“Ugh! I feel like I’m dying.”
They clutched their bellies and gazed at me with desperate eyes.
“Very well, then. First, everyone lie down on the floor.”
At my words, they all obediently lay down on the ground.
“Roll to your left three times.”
“…What did you say?”
“Roll to your left three times. Then roll to your right three times as well.”
At my instruction, one Group Member burst out.
“Isn’t this the kind of foolish exercise only dimwits do?”
I sighed.
“Ah, I knew this would happen. That’s why I suggested you simply endure for five days. If you’re already like this, how can I possibly help with the detoxification?”
“…”
“And you still call yourselves members of the Murim Alliance? Those who pride themselves as representatives of the Orthodox Sect harbor such doubts?”
“I… I apologize.”
“That’s enough. I’ll just withdraw from here. Yes, you’ll suffer terribly for five days, but at least there won’t be any misunderstandings between us. I have no desire to die young because of such misunderstandings.”
The moment I turned away without hesitation, they grimaced and struggled to approach me, beginning to plead desperately.
“W-we were wrong!”
“We’re truly sorry.”
I wore a gloomy expression.
“This may not be the right time to say this, but the way you continue to speak down to me suggests you have no intention of recognizing me as a fellow martial artist. The League Master bestowed upon me the title of Immortal Chivalry Beauty and asked me to undertake this mission together with you.”
“….”
“In other words, you disagree with the League Master’s judgment.”
“N-no, that’s not it… it’s not.”
“Absolutely not.”
Good, their words are becoming more elaborate.
They should have been like this from the start.
It seems the pain has clouded their minds so much that formal speech is now pouring out naturally.
“So please, I beg you to provide the antidote.”
“Enduring this suffering for five days would be far too agonizing.”
“And if we happen to encounter disloyal individuals, it could become a serious problem.”
“It’s fine.”
I told them.
“My companions and I possess considerable skill, so we can certainly protect you all.”
“H-how much skill do you possess?”
I looked at Won Chief, and at my gaze, he cleared his throat and corrected himself.
“How much skill do you possess, sir?”
Well, it’s not surprising these arrogant fools don’t remember my realm.
“Seo-woo Warrior beside me and I are both at the Peak. And Yeo Eung-am Warrior has also recently reached the Peak.”
“S-so there are three Peak Martial Masters….”
“Yes. Moreover, we’re openly carrying the Murim Alliance’s banner like this—what fool would risk being hunted for life by attacking us?”
As my words continued, their expressions grew increasingly grim.
In other words, I had more than enough reason not to provide them with the antidote right now.
“So while it will certainly be painful, you can rest assured.”
Thump.
At my words, they dropped to their knees.
“P-please, we beg you.”
“We swear we’ll never harbor such misunderstandings, so please save us!”
“We really feel like we’re dying!”
Watching Won Chief and the others plead so desperately, I chuckled inwardly with satisfaction.
“Very well. I’ll trust the Great Heroes one more time.”
At my words, they nodded continuously.
I worried their necks might snap from the vigor.
“Then everyone lie on the ground and roll three times to the left, then three times to the right.”
They obeyed my instructions without complaint.
“Roll to your left five times, then to your right five times.”
“Sit and jump in place, facing north, south, east, and west ten times each!”
With each instruction I issued, Won Chief and his group members became increasingly covered in dirt.
Ah! This is absolutely satisfying!
Glancing back, my companions wore expressions of pure relief as well.
After putting them through about half an hour of such exertion, I finally spoke to Lee Pil Warrior.
“Did you bring the medicinal herbs I mentioned?”
“Yes. Here they are.”
I handed the herbs to Won Chief and his group members, saying, “Now you simply need to chew these herbs.”
“Understood.”
I understand.
They accepted the herbs and began chewing them, their expressions shifting to wonder as the pain seemingly vanished.
“What? My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore?”
“Hah! It’s really gone!”
“Remarkable! Truly miraculous!”
Then someone spoke to me.
“But couldn’t you have simply taken these herbs from the beginning?”
“Why did you make them suffer through all that physical exertion instead of giving them the herbs right away?”
It was a question I’d anticipated, and I was prepared for it.
I deliberately sighed.
“Ah yes, there’s always someone like that. Someone who complains that after being saved from drowning, you threw them a rope instead of silk.”
I continued, “Medicine is contextual—it can become poison or cure depending on the circumstances. Had the Great Heroes consumed these herbs without proper preparation, the detoxification would have been incomplete. The reason I had them move their bodies was to ensure complete detoxification in one go.”
“Medicine is something that can become poison or medicinal herb depending on the situation. If Great Hero had consumed that herb without any preparation, it wouldn’t have been properly detoxified. What I did to move Great Hero’s body was a preparatory process to ensure complete detoxification all at once.”
“….”
At my explanation, they wore embarrassed expressions.
“Despite my thorough explanation earlier, someone still dares to raise such doubts! I’m truly worried about the future of the Murim.”
They fidgeted as if they wanted to disappear into the ground.
Then Palgap spoke.
“As they say, one changes between going to the outhouse and coming back out… Young Master, you never trusted these people!”
“I feel the same way. It’s quite saddening, really. These so-called future heirs of the Murim… No, what would I know?”
I lamented thus while discreetly observing Won Chief and his group members.
All wore expressions of shame.
“Then we shall take our leave. It’s late, so please rest well.”
“Yes, sleep well.”
Won Chief hurriedly bowed, and I silently cupped my fist in return before heading back to our campsite.
“You appear quite satisfied, sir.”
At Seo-woo Warrior’s words, I nodded and grinned widely.
“What can I say?”
Our campsite was positioned some distance from theirs, so visibility was poor.
Moreover, I had erected a barrier of qi, so sound couldn’t carry that far either.
Lee Pil Warrior spoke.
“To devise such a strategy using those herbs! I can only express my admiration.”
“It’s thanks to you, Lee Pil Warrior.”
Yeo Eung-am Warrior spoke.
“Now they won’t dare treat us carelessly.”
“Yes, I deliberately planted guilt in them for that very reason.”
Palgap shook his head vigorously.
“I will never make an enemy of you, sir. I wish to live my entire life well-fed and content, as fate allows.”
At his words, all of my companions unconsciously nodded before their eyes met mine.
And they laughed awkwardly.
“Honestly, since you’re my people, I show you this side of myself. If you weren’t, I would have shown only my better nature.”
“Does that mean you trust us that much?”
At Palgap’s words, I chuckled softly.
“Think of it however you wish.”
.
.
.
Dawn broke.
After we finished breakfast, we completed our preparations to depart. Won Chief approached me.
“Did you sleep well last night, sir?”
“Yes. Thanks to the abdominal pain disappearing, I slept very soundly.”
This morning had been busy with washing.
Last night I hadn’t washed and had slept covered in dirt.
Rolling about in the moonlight must have been quite exhausting.
And Won Chief was now treating me with natural respect.
The spiritual education from last night seemed to have been effective.
“We plan to depart in a quarter hour.”
“Understood.”
“And also….”
He scratched his cheek and continued.
“Last night I was far too petty. I apologize.”
“I accept your apology.”
Whether this apology came because he truly realized his pettiness, or because of last night’s events, or because he learned of my Peak Martial Master cultivation, I cannot say.
But what matters is that I accepted the apology.
Since we won’t be together long, whether the apology carries sincerity is irrelevant.
What matters is whether I can spend the remaining journey comfortably.

A moment later.
We set out toward Mount Tai once more.
For some reason, the footsteps of our horses seemed lighter as we headed toward Mount Tai.
Ah, these creatures had accumulated quite a bit of stress themselves.
Well, that makes sense—they are our mounts, after all.
The journey to Mount Tai proved remarkably peaceful and comfortable.
Since I was both their benefactor and the source of their guilt, I treated them well.
I gave them both the disease and the cure, but as long as the results are good, that’s what matters.
After several more days of travel, we finally arrived at Jinan.
“Let us rest here today and visit the Mount Tai Sect tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you happen to know of a suitable inn nearby?”
At that question, I pointed toward a location and spoke.
“The Cheongsan Inn over there is quite decent.”
That was the inn where I had stayed when I came here previously for the Hundred Great Merchant Guild Meeting hosted by the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild.
It was quite nice.
We secured rooms and unpacked our belongings.
“I shall take a brief look around the area.”
“Very well, sir.”
My companions and I left the inn.
Since we were in Jinan, I thought I would browse the shops in the marketplace street.
Jinan is a place where trade with foreign countries flourishes.
Because of this, goods circulate actively, and it is one of the places that leads the Empire’s trends.
These trends are transmitted to Beijing and develop further there.
In other words, by observing the shops here alone, one can predict about half of what will become fashionable in Beijing.
Therefore, exploring this place is a very important task for a merchant.
“Hmm, there are quite a few interesting things here.”
As I wandered through the marketplace observing, something caught my eye.
I approached it.
“Isn’t this a rouge container?”
“That’s right.”
Shandong is famous for ceramics just as much as for ironware.
This is because there is excellent clay available for making pottery.
The delicate patterns inlaid with gold thread looked truly beautiful.
“I should buy this one.”
At my words, Palgap spoke with an understanding expression.
“Since you’re already buying a rouge container, it might be nice to select a rouge color that suits Gwak Vice-Manager and fill it for her.”
“That’s also a good idea… Wait? I never said I was giving it to anyone.”
“I am your servant, sir. One can tell these things at a glance. Hehehehe.”
I felt somewhat embarrassed.
As Palgap had said, the rouge container was a gift for Seo Hyang.
I needed to maintain a humble appearance to conceal my identity, and I felt both apologetic and a pang of sympathy toward her.
It was then that Seo-woo Warrior spoke.
“I should purchase this rouge container. I think my wife would be delighted with it.”
Yeo Eung-am Warrior followed suit.
“This looks quite beautiful to me. My wife would enjoy it as well. Haha.”
I let out a quiet chuckle.
“Then, shall we all visit the nearby rouge shop together?”
The rouge shop’s clientele consisted almost entirely of women.
But as the saying goes, there is strength in numbers, isn’t there?
Thanks to that, we were able to purchase rouge without embarrassment.
What was amusing was that the shop where we bought the rouge was one that received its supplies from the Eunhae Trading Company.
If I wished, I could have obtained the rouge without payment, but that would only be cutting into my own flesh.
As we left the rouge shop and headed toward our quarters, I heard a voice calling out to me.
“Who might this be? Isn’t this Eun Seo-ho, the Small Merchant Leader of the Eunhae Trading Company?”
When I turned around, I saw a familiar face.
It was Ho Gyeong Prince of the Baek Yeom Merchant Guild.
“Ah, Young Master Ho!”
“Pleased to see you, Eun Small Merchant Leader. What brings you to these parts?”
“I had some business to attend to. But it seems you’ve grown taller since we last met.”
“Haha! Yes, I’ve grown a bit more.”
Indeed, from what I remembered, he had grown even taller than now, to the point where I would have to look up at him.
“At the last gathering, the First Small Merchant Leader was in attendance.”
“Yes. That’s how it should be. I had been attending in his place until now.”
“So the succession has been decided.”
“It was already decided.”
After exchanging various pleasantries, Ho Gyeong Prince spoke.
“Eun Small Merchant Leader, I have not forgotten the favor you did for me back then.”
He was referring to when I had saved him from the schemes of the Baekcheon Trading Company, which had sought to harm him.
“You need not remember it.”
“I absolutely cannot forget it. I hope that someday this hidden blade will be put to use.”
He was speaking of the hidden blade, a token of his oath to assist me with his life on the line.
“I understand.”
There would surely come a time when it would be needed.
“Where are you staying at present?”
“At the Cheongsan Inn.”
“Would you not consider staying at our trading company instead?”
I politely declined his offer.
“I appreciate the invitation, but that would require you to accommodate the Murim Alliance members within the company as well.”
“I beg your pardon?”
I smiled as I spoke.
“In truth, I’m currently carrying out a mission under the League Master’s orders, accompanied by these members of the Murim Alliance.”
His eyes turned cold in an instant.
“Surely you’re not saying you’re working together with the Murim Alliance?”

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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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