The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 577

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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 577

Chapter 577. How to Make Them Eat Dirt (2)

The martial contest between Jin-ho and Jo-un Warrior stretched on for quite some time, and after nearly half an hour of fierce combat, the victor was finally decided.
“The winner is Eun Jin-ho Warrior of the Eun Hae Trading Company!”
“Uwaaaaah!”
Jin-ho let out a triumphant roar, and the crowd showered him with thunderous applause.
“Cham Ho Chang-woong! Cham Ho Chang-woong!”
Watching them, I found the situation rather absurd.
Hadn’t these very people mocked me when the League Master recommended me, sneering at my status as a merchant?
And now they cheered for Jin-ho with such fervor.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Well, I suppose I can let it slide this time.
Jin-ho descended from the martial arts arena and approached me.
“Did you see?”
“Yes. You did well.”
Remarkably, Jin-ho bore not a single wound on his body.
He had taken considerable care to avoid injury.
That was also why the match had lasted so long.
After all, there was no greater filial impiety than showing our parents an injured son.
I turned my gaze toward Chang-un Warrior.
Jo-un Warrior, his senior brother, remained in shock, unable to accept his defeat.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes….”
Though he clearly was not.

* * *

At that very moment.
In the backyard of the Yeon Pung Inn, Dae-nok Warrior and Su-am Warrior were engaged in training.
The orders Eun Seo-ho had given were straightforward.
Basic sword form practice.
And what was called the three fundamental physical conditioning exercises.
These were the daily training routines that the Eun Pung-dae Warriors had to perform.
Running, push-ups, and holding the horse stance for extended periods.
And hanging leg raises.
The Eun Pung-dae Warriors conducted these exercises regularly during designated hours, but these two did not.
They had to train all day long.
Even if they wanted to slack off and avoid the work, they couldn’t, because the unbearable muscle soreness that plagued them whenever they stopped moving made it far too agonizing.
And there was one more thing tormenting them.
“Warriors, it is time for your medicine.”
The bitter medicinal broth that Palgap brought.
While good medicine tastes bitter, this broth transcended mere bitterness.
If it weren’t absolutely necessary to drink it, one would want to vomit, yet despite its repulsive taste, the expensive and potent medicine was absorbed readily into their bodies.
So even when they retched from exhaustion during training, not a single drop of the medicine came back up.
“Must we truly drink this for all four days?”
At Dae-nok Warrior’s words, Palgap nodded his head.
“Yes, sir. That is correct.”
“Sigh… then please, at least let us drink some water.”
“Are you thirsty? You shouldn’t be thirsty, nor should you feel hungry, sir.”
“….”
Palgap was right.
The idea of drinking only that medicinal broth for four days straight while continuing grueling physical training seemed absurd.
But sadly, he felt neither thirst nor hunger.
“Just drink it all down quickly. The Young Master said that if you spill even a single drop or leave any remaining, you’ll do ten additional hanging leg raises.”
“….”
“Sigh, this is truly expensive medicine. The Young Master is making a considerable investment in you, so how can you act this way? Do you think you’ll be able to take revenge like this?”
“I understand. I understand, so give me the broth.”
“Then drink it.”
With pained expressions, they drank the medicinal broth Palgap offered them.
Though they had drunk it many times already, this bitter taste simply would not become bearable.
And shortly after, the unbearable muscle soreness returned once more.
They resumed their training.
After swinging their swords for a while, they eventually grew exhausted and collapsed onto the ground.
Dae-nok called out to Su-am, breathing heavily.
“Senior Brother.”
“What is it?”
“I cannot fathom what riches and glory we are pursuing that would justify this suffering.”
“Isn’t it for revenge against what you’ve suffered and for the honor of the Main Organization?”
“Our opponent is the Namgung Family Estate. No matter how hard we struggle, they’re not an enemy we can seek revenge against. And isn’t advancing to the Main Ship already sufficient for honor?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Let’s run away.”
“What?”
“To be honest, I don’t see the point in this sadistic training right now.”
“But we’ve already made a contract. You’re not planning to break it, are you?”
“If I recall correctly, our contract was that if we help with revenge, we would become a strength to the Eun Hae Trading Company. So if we say we don’t want to, doesn’t that make this contract void?”
Soo-am wavered.
“Is… is that so?”
“Honestly, isn’t this difficult for Senior Brother too?”
“….”
“Let’s run away.”
“Can we actually escape?”
“From what I know, most people have left to watch the martial arts tournament. Only attendants and advisors remain.”
“….”
“Senior Brother. If we’re going to escape, now is our chance.”
After a moment of deliberation, Soo-am nodded.
“Very well.”
And so they surveyed the inn and quietly fled.
But they didn’t know.
That Eun Seo-ho had left behind someone other than Palgap and Gwak Seo-hyang.
“Squeak?”

* * *

The morning martial arts preliminaries concluded, and we were given an hour for lunch.
Instead of eating, I headed to the Temporary Shop.
I needed to check the morning’s sales figures and see if there were any matters requiring attention.
Jin-ho went elsewhere with the External Chief Manager, while my parents attended a gathering with the Merchant Guild Leader and his wife.
“I hear the Second Small Guild Master passed the preliminaries?”
“Congratulations.”
The attendants managing the Temporary Shop offered their congratulations on Jin-ho’s advancement through the preliminaries.
“Thank you. I’ll pass that along to Jin-ho. By the way, how are sales trending?”
“Quite well.”
I listened to their detailed report.
Indeed, items like Golden Wound Medicine and weapon ornaments—the sort martial artists favor—were selling briskly.
It was natural that spending increased during such events compared to ordinary times.
Even the merchant guilds were selling at lower prices than usual.
I examined the Baekcheon Trading Company’s temporary shop nearby.
They too were doing quite well.
Though they had lost goodwill due to Namgung Kang’s greed during the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament, considerable time had passed, and their prices were relatively cheaper than other merchants.
That low pricing was likely their method of recovering reputation, but what good was selling inferior quality at bargain prices?
It might sell well now, but the consequences would eventually return to haunt them.
Ah, how fortunate for Baekcheon Trading Company.
They could conduct business with such audacity.
One item they held a monopoly on was whetstones.
Whetstones were essential for martial artists to maintain sharp weapon edges.
Moreover, since weapon craftsmen also needed them, I heard that even the Hongyeon Merchant Guild had contracted with the Murim Alliance to receive whetstone supplies.
“Please continue your diligent work.”
“Rest assured.”
As I finished inspecting the shop and was about to eat, I felt something gently tapping my arm from inside my sleeve.
Discreetly slipping my hand into my sleeve, I felt something plump and soft.
– Huh? Geum-ryeong? When did you arrive?
– Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
What? You just arrived? And… you know where the escaped Dae-nok Warrior and Su-am Warrior are?
Wait, that means…
Hah, they’ve fled.
I sighed and sent a silent transmission to Geum-ryeong.
– Geum-ryeong, guide me.
– Squeak!

A short while later.
I headed toward the Luoyang South Gate.
The fact that they fled through the south gate rather than the west gate, which was closer to Shaanxi, suggested they had used their heads somewhat.
Tsk tsk, they’re putting in some effort.
– Squeak!
Geumryeong was clicking his tongue right along with me.
“They lack perseverance. If I were in their position, I would not let slip this opportunity our lord has granted us.”
At Myeong-jong Warrior’s words, Chang-un Warrior nodded in agreement.
“I share that sentiment. Though the medicinal broth is quite bitter, if it can produce the effects of three months of training in merely three days, that much is worth enduring.”
I chuckled softly.
“Had they thought the same way, this situation would never have arisen.”
Thus we used our lightness technique to dash forward, and soon we spotted Dae-nok Warrior and Su-am Warrior racing toward Songshan Mountain.
They had come farther than I expected.
It meant they had run with such desperation—was the training truly that unbearable?
“Seo-woo Warrior, Yeo Eung-am Warrior. Let us go. The rest of you, follow me at this current pace.”
“Yes!”
The two warriors and I accelerated and surged ahead.
And we came to a halt ahead of Dae-nok Warrior and Su-am Warrior, who were running with great effort.
“Huff, huff, huff….”
“Wheeze, wheeze….”
The two warriors from the Yeon Gyeol Sect came running, gasping for breath.
Upon spotting me, they wore expressions of utter shock. For them, I was someone who should not be in this place.
“G-Great Hero… that is….”
“W-well, that is to say….”
I spoke to them with a smile as they fumbled for words.
“It seems the backyard of the inn was too cramped for training.”
“….”
“I apologize for not recognizing your predicament sooner.”
At my words, they finally dropped to their knees before us.
“We are terribly sorry.”
“We beg your forgiveness!”
“What is there to apologize for? You came all this way to train diligently, did you not?”
“….”
I continued.
“I understand that you are suffering and in pain. But as you have learned through your years of living, there is no easy path in this world. Especially not when it concerns revenge against a formidable opponent.”
“….”
“You do desire revenge, do you not?”
I pressed on.
“You must know that Namgung On Warrior was not thrown into the Prison. But will he, confined to house arrest at home, truly repent of his wrongs?”
There was no chance of that.
“I hear he’s been enjoying himself with old friends and courtesans.”
“….”
“And they say he claims he lost at the martial arts tournament because his opponent used underhanded tactics.”
This is true.
After all, it’s information I obtained with the help of the Eun Hae Trading Company Intelligence Network.
“Underhanded tactics? No! I fought fairly and won!”
“That’s precisely why I’m telling you this.”
I continued.
“Whether you stop training is your choice. But if you return like this, Dae-nok Warrior will become known as someone who passed the preliminary rounds through underhanded tactics. Moreover, you won’t be able to prevent your sponsorship from being cut off. Do you think any Manor Lord would sponsor a dishonorable warrior?”
“…!”
“Will you still quit?”
“No!”
Dae-nok Warrior’s eyes blazed with fury.
“I will not quit!”
I turned my head toward Su-am Warrior.
“If you return like this, not only will your sponsorship be cut off, but you’ll face ridicule from all around. That will make your sect’s situation even more dire. Will you watch your disciples go hungry?”
As if the very thought was unbearable, he bit his lip before answering.
“That must never come to pass.”
“As I mentioned before, revenge is never an easy path.”
I know this well, for I live with greater intensity and dedication than anyone else for the sake of my own revenge.
“Enduring hardship while remembering one’s purpose—sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall to keep revenge alive. Every time you taste the bitterness of the medicinal broth, every time you feel the soreness in your muscles, let that anger fuel you. That will become your strength.”
At my words, they prostrated themselves on their knees.
“We will not forget the Great Hero’s words.”
“We were reckless. We will take your words to heart, Great Hero.”
“Good. Since we must prevent such things from happening again, I should mention this now.”
I withdrew a contract from my sleeve.
“This contract you both signed. Did you read it carefully?”
“Of course.”
“Then do you remember this clause?”
I unfolded the contract and pointed to the bottom section.

[To terminate this contract prematurely, the party seeking termination shall pay compensation of fifty gold coins]

Fifty gold coins—an astronomical sum for them to bear.
Enough to purchase an entire tile-roofed house here in Luoyang.
“…!”
“…!”
Seeing their eyes widen in shock, it was clear they’d been suppressing this memory.
I rolled the contract back up.
I tucked it into my sleeve and spoke.
“Do you have fifty gold coins?”
“….”
No answer. There’s no way they could.
“It seems you misheard my words about being prepared. Haha, no matter. You simply need to do well from now on.”
I grinned wickedly.
“Now then, get up and run at full speed to the Yeon Pung Inn.”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaah!”
The two warriors bolted toward the Yeon Pung Inn as if their tails were on fire.
Excellent, absolutely excellent.
Now they’re fully alert.
The picture I’d been envisioning was becoming crystal clear.
“Squeak?”
Geum-ryeong poked his head out from my sleeve.
Why didn’t I give him silver coins?
Don’t worry. I’ll give them to you. Have I ever welched on silver coins I owed?
I may have forgotten, but I’ve never cheated.
.
.
.
The day after I brought the two warriors back, Cheon-jo’s preliminaries concluded.
Immediately after, Ji-jo’s preliminaries began, and Sister Hyang-ok competed on the first day.
And she thoroughly dismantled her opponent with words alone—the one who dared mock her.
Sister Hyang-ok is docile unless provoked, but they simply can’t resist provoking her.
“Hack! Cough! I concede!”
The opponent Sister had verbally defeated never even drew their sword once before conceding, and so she advanced to the main tournament without fighting.
That’s partly why I fear Sister.
When Sister strikes with nothing but facts, it truly hurts when it lands.
Thanks to that, Sister’s reputation as the Sharp-Tongued Female Swordmaster rose even higher.
A few days later, the preliminaries concluded and the main tournament began.
Unlike the preliminaries, the main tournament for Cheon-jo concludes and the final victor emerges before Ji-jo’s main tournament begins.
Which means my turn is still quite far off.
So I can focus on training Dae-nok Warrior. Now it’s time to show the fruits of that training.

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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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