The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 580

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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 580

Chapter 580. Under-the-Table Dealings (1)

The next morning.
Eun Jin-ho sat quietly in his room, taking measured breaths.
Today was finally the day of his first-round martial contest on the main ship.
He wasn’t particularly nervous or trembling.
His only concern was whether he might bring shame upon Go Il-pyeong and the honor of the Eun Hae Trading Company.
And if he were to suffer injury, his parents would surely be deeply worried—that troubled him as well.
Naturally, his youngest brother Eun Seo-ho wouldn’t sit idle either.
‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have participated at all?’
But this decision had come only after he’d deliberated over it dozens of times.
As the Eun Hae Trading Company grew stronger, there would be many who sought to check and envy them.
Whether to warn them or repay them, he needed to gain renown for himself.
If he possessed martial prowess as formidable as Geo-am Jin-geom, the guard warrior of the Sebin Merchant Guild Leader, people would naturally back away, but he was not yet at that level.
So through this opportunity, he had to demonstrate his skill and elevate his reputation.
To protect the Eun Hae Trading Company.
“Brother, it’s me.”
Just then, a voice called to him from beyond the door.
“Ah, come in.”
The door opened and Eun Seo-ho entered.
“What is it?”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Almost—just need to put on my jacket.”
“Good timing.”
Eun Seo-ho placed the cloth bundle he’d brought onto the table and unwrapped it.
Inside was….
“A chest plate?”
“That’s right. I went to great lengths to obtain this. It’s made from ten-thousand-fold tempered steel, they say.”
Steel forged through ten thousand rounds of tempering possessed considerable hardness and toughness.
Yet it was remarkably light and comfortable to wear, making it ideal for use as a protective garment worn beneath clothing.
Of course, it wasn’t easy to obtain.
One needed high-quality iron capable of withstanding ten thousand rounds of tempering, and the skill to execute such work.
For this reason, the technique of ten-thousand-fold tempering was passed down only to a select few.
“According to the rules of friendly martial contests, full body armor cannot be worn, but partial armor like this is permitted. Neck guards are provided as standard, but other protective gear is not. That’s why I prepared this.”
If protective gear were to be issued, it would be proper to include chest protection as well, but there’s a reason they don’t.
Depending on the nature of one’s martial techniques, wearing a chest plate could actually impose restrictions.
Thus opinions varied on the matter, and in the end, they decided to issue only neck protectors and leave the rest to individual discretion.
Eun Jin-ho understood the heart behind Eun Seo-ho’s gesture toward him.
Feeling that kindness, Eun Jin-ho laughed awkwardly.
“Thank you.”
He spoke while picking up the chest plate.
“Since you’re here, help me put this on.”
“Elder Brother.”
“What?”
“I’m busy.”
….
“Still, make sure you wear it. I’ll test it with my fists later.”

* * *

I stepped out of Elder Brother Jin-ho’s guest room and scratched my cheek.
I could have helped him put on the chest plate, but I felt too embarrassed and made an excuse to leave.
And though I didn’t tell Elder Brother, there was a reason I went to such lengths to procure and prepare this chest plate separately.
It was because of the opponent Elder Brother Jin-ho would face.
Yesterday, after the martial contest ended and I was resting for a moment, Seo Hyang arrived looking deathly pale.
And she told me.

“Eun Jin-ho Sub-leader is in danger.”

I listened to her account of the entire situation and combined it with my own memories.
The opponent Jin-ho would face this time was Ji Gyeong-hwa of the Ji Clan.
He wielded a whip embedded with iron shards as his primary weapon, and those iron shards were an extraordinarily dangerous tool.
Perhaps for that reason, in my previous life, one of his martial contest opponents had died.
It was Jo-un Warrior, the senior brother of Chang-un Warrior.
The reason I only recalled this fact after hearing Seo Hyang speak was because I hadn’t been present in my previous life.
My elder brothers had mentioned it to me, but they weren’t the type to spread word of someone’s death, and I myself hadn’t considered it a crucial detail.
So I simply let it slip from my mind.
In any case, Ji Gyeong-hwa faced no punishment since the outcome occurred during a friendly martial contest at the Martial Arts Grand Conference, for which no one bore responsibility.
However, the deceased had been the future of the Jongnam Sect.
This caused relations between the Jongnam Sect and the Ji Clan to deteriorate, and unfortunately, both powers were situated in the same region.
This would later produce dire consequences.
But now his opponent was not Jo-un Warrior—it was my brother.
Given that, I had no choice but to do everything in my power to prevent it.
I didn’t know why Ji Gyeong-hwa had employed assassins at that time, nor how exactly he had killed his opponent.
But according to Seo Hyang’s account, the victim collapsed while bleeding from the chest, which meant the attack had targeted that area.
That’s why I gifted Jin-ho a chest plate.
I saw Chang-un Warrior meditating in the backyard.
After Jo-un Warrior lost to Jin-ho and suffered the shock of it, he had been devoting himself to training lately.
Chang-un Warrior, don’t be too devastated that your respected senior brother was eliminated in the preliminaries.
In fact, his life has been spared.
Of course, if I said something like that, he would regard me with suspicious eyes.
I set aside such thoughts and called out to Chang-un Warrior.
“Chang-un Warrior.”
“Yes!”
He opened his eyes and rose from his seat, and I turned my body as I spoke.
“It’s time to head to the Martial Arts Arena.”
.
.
.
My party and I arrived at the Martial Arts Arena.
“Did you put on the chest plate I gave you?”
“Yes. I asked Man-i to help with it.”
Man-i is Jin-ho’s attendant. If I asked Man-i, then it was certainly fitted with meticulous care.
“Good work.”
With that, we each took our seats.
After waiting a moment, Geum Yeon-hwa stepped onto the martial stage.
“We shall now begin the second day of matches in the main tournament’s first round.”
“Waaaaah!”
“The first match of today is Eun Jin-ho of the Eun Hae Trading Company! His opponent is Ji Gyeong-hwa of the Ji Clan!”
“Cham Ho Chang-woong! Cham Ho Chang-woong!”
“Hong Cheon Sun-pyeon! Hong Cheon Sun-pyeon!”
Hong Cheon Sun-pyeon was the martial name of Ji Gyeong-hwa.
It was bestowed upon him because the way he wielded his crimson whip made it appear as though a thousand lines were being drawn across the air.
“Be careful out there!”
“Please take care of yourself.”
To my parents’ anxious words of caution, Elder Brother Jin-ho nodded with determination.
“Yes. I will do my very best.”
When Elder Brother Jin-ho turned to look at me, I flashed him a confident smile.
Elder Brother Jin-ho and Ji Gyeong-hwa ascended onto the martial arts arena.
Once they had affixed seven markers to their bodies and completed their preparations, the sound of the drum echoed across the grounds.
Boom!
The contest had begun.
After a brief exchange of probing strikes, it was Elder Brother Jin-ho who seized the initiative.
Thwack!
He pushed off the ground and lunged forward, wielding his spear with precision.
Whoosh!
In response, Ji Gyeong-hwa swung his whip, and Elder Brother Jin-ho deftly evaded it.
If his spear became entangled in the whip, he would inevitably lose the advantage.
Thus, he had to be careful not to let his weapon get caught.
Clearly aware of this, Ji Gyeong-hwa targeted Elder Brother Jin-ho’s weapon rather than his body.
In the midst of this exchange, Elder Brother Jin-ho succeeded in destroying two of his opponent’s markers.
This was thanks to one of Elder Brother Jin-ho’s techniques—the striking deflection method.
My brother possessed wide spatial awareness and quick reflexes.
Because of this, he could strike the tip of the whip with his spear, creating openings to launch his own attacks.
My brother could use such a technique?
Ah!
Something suddenly occurred to me, and I turned my head.
Mother was watching the contest with evident satisfaction.
Now that I thought about it, Elder Brother Jung-ho had mentioned it before.
Mother often served as his sparring partner.
Mother’s primary weapon was the ribbon blade, a form similar to the whip.
It seemed Mother had taught him how to counter both ribbon blades and whips.
Even if he had learned those methods, to employ them so fluidly in actual combat like this!
It was remarkable.
Crack!
The number of markers disappearing from Ji Gyeong-hwa’s body continued to increase.
Only three remained.
Since Elder Brother Jin-ho had lost only one marker, he was clearly gaining the upper hand.
At that moment, Ji Gyeong-hwa suddenly clenched his teeth and swung his whip toward Elder Brother Jin-ho’s weapon.
But the whip seemed to have grown somewhat longer.
What? What method did he use?
Ah, the handle!
Looking more carefully, the handle of the whip Ji Gyeong-hwa was gripping had become considerably longer than before.
There had been a hidden section.
One might call it a hidden trump card, but now that I’d grown accustomed to the whip’s previous range, even a span longer could inflict a fatal wound.
And the whip seemed too long to target the spear shaft. That’s dangerous.
My prediction was correct.
The metal-edged whip lashed directly across Eun Jung-ho’s chest.
Clang!
“Gasp!”
“J-Jung-ho!”
My parents jolted up from their seats in alarm, and I rose as well.
“Ugh….”
Eun Jung-ho groaned and staggered.
Thank goodness.
I exhaled in relief.
If Seo Hyang hadn’t told me, it would have been truly catastrophic.
Through the torn fabric on Eun Jung-ho’s left chest, a gleaming metal plate was visible.
And that metallic clang I’d just heard.
“….”
I spoke to my bewildered parents.
“I gifted Eun Jung-ho a chest plate this morning. Fortunately, he wore it into the match.”
Only then did my parents breathe a sigh of relief.
“But why did you think to gift a chest plate this morning?”
“I simply felt compelled to.”
“Is it what you call intuition?”
“Well, something like that.”
I deflected thus and turned my gaze to Ji Gyeong-hwa on the martial arena.
For just a moment, an emotion flickered across his face—unmistakably regret.
Regret?
Regret that he hadn’t killed Eun Jung-ho? Surely not?
There’s something more to this.
The two combatants’ weapons moved again.
How would Eun Jung-ho overcome this situation….
Eh?
Eun Jung-ho suddenly extended his spear shaft willingly, allowing the whip to coil around it.
Yet a faint smile played across his face.
A sign of his stratagem.
As Eun Jung-ho pulled the spear, Ji Gyeong-hwa was dragged forward, and Eun Jung-ho rushed ahead instead, sweeping at his opponent’s legs.
Thwack!
Crack!
Two cards remaining!
Ji Gyeong-hwa barely managed to retract his whip and retreated, but my Elder Brother Jin-ho pressed forward without giving him a moment’s respite.
Thwack! Thwack!
Perhaps still disoriented from what had just transpired, Ji Gyeong-hwa failed to mount a proper defense.
Thus, this martial contest concluded with my Elder Brother Jin-ho’s victory.
“The victor of this bout is Eun Jin-ho!”
“Uwaaaaah!”
Elder Brother Jin-ho unleashed a triumphant cry.
“Cham Ho Chang-woong! Cham Ho Chang-woong!”
The crowd erupted in cheers, chanting Elder Brother Jin-ho’s name with fervent enthusiasm.
Jin-ho descended from the arena with a beaming expression and rejoined our group.
“Jin-ho!”
“Are you alright? Jin-ho?”
In response to our parents’ inquiry, Elder Brother Jin-ho scratched his head and spoke.
“I apologize for the alarm, but I assure you I am unharmed. It is thanks to the excellent gift Seo-ho bestowed upon me.”
“Yes, I heard. Seo-ho gifted you a chest plate.”
“Indeed.”
“Seo-ho’s intuition saved your life.”
“I am profoundly grateful to him even now.”
.
.
.
After the morning martial contests concluded, Elder Brother Jin-ho immediately made his way to the inn to receive treatment from the Physician.
With his jacket and chest plate removed, a deep black bruise covered the left side of Jin-ho’s chest.
“Are you in pain?”
“No.”
The Physician pressed his fingers against my brother’s chest.
“Ahhh!”
My brother cried out, and the Physician shook his head gravely.
“Your sternum appears to be fractured.”
“I see.”
“I heard about this. Had it not been for that chest plate, you would have been preparing for your funeral. You were fortunate indeed.”
The Physician continued his assessment.
“And yet you continued fighting in such a condition! Good heavens….”
The Physician exhaled deeply.
I too found myself sighing.
“Would you have me withdraw shamefully instead? I was gaining the upper hand.”
“Then you intend to compete in the next bout as well?”
“Of course.”
“You should forfeit.”
“Pardon?”
“You may seem fine now, but you’re far from it. If you suffer another shock in the next match, you might never be able to wield a weapon again.”
“No. I’m fine! I’m going to compete!”
Elder Brother Jin-ho declared firmly.
And stopping that stubbornness of his wouldn’t be easy.
.
.
.
After the afternoon matches concluded, my parents returned to the inn and entered Elder Brother Jin-ho’s guest room, but they emerged with heavy expressions.
They had failed to persuade Elder Brother Jin-ho.
“Ugh! That stubborn fool!”
“Sigh….”
Go Il-pyeong beside me had already failed to convince him as well.
“How on earth can we break through that man’s stubbornness….”
I approached my parents with a smile.
“Father. I have a good idea.”
“Well, what is it?”
I sent a silent message to Father, and he nodded.
“Do it that way.”

I left the inn with Seo-woo Warrior and Yeo Eung-am Warrior.
“Where are we headed, sir?”
I answered Seo-woo Warrior’s question.
“To the Yu-wol Inn.”
“Isn’t that where the Ami Sect disciples are staying?”
“That’s right. I’m planning to bring Sister Hyang-ok back with us.”
I was worried about Elder Brother Jin-ho getting thoroughly scolded by Sister Hyang-ok, but that wasn’t the issue right now.
If Elder Brother Jin-ho continued his winning streak and built his reputation, that would be good for me too.
But more than that, Elder Brother Jin-ho’s health and life were what mattered most.
Using elixirs to heal his body was one approach, but given Elder Brother Jin-ho’s temperament, he’d likely rely on them and push his body recklessly instead.
That couldn’t happen.
No matter how miraculous an elixir was, it wasn’t a cure-all.
“What brings you here?” the disciple standing in front of the Yu-wol Inn asked.
I answered respectfully.
“I’m Sister Hyang-ok’s cousin. Is she inside?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Fortunately, Sister Hyang-ok was at the inn, and she came out shortly with the disciple.
“What is it?”
“Sister, I have a favor to ask of you.”

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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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