The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 584

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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 584

Chapter 584. The Art of Backroom Dealings (5)

The martial arts tournament continued, and soon only two warriors remained from Cheon-jo.
“At last, the final match of Cheon-jo! These are names that need no introduction! The White Strategy Cold Blade, Jegal Yu-ah! And the Crimson Sea Sword Hero, Cheongryu!”
“Waaaaaah!”
“White Strategy Cold Blade! White Strategy Cold Blade!”
“Crimson Sea Sword Hero! Crimson Sea Sword Hero!”
The spectators cheered, chanting the names of the two warriors.
The two ascended the martial arts arena, each wearing seven badges on their bodies, and faced one another.
“I hope this will be a good match.”
“Yes.”
Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master responded to Cheongryu Warrior’s words.
“I too hope this will be a good match.”
Boom!
With the sound of the drum, the match began.
Cheongryu Warrior held his blade in his left hand.
He was the warrior who had defeated Gyeongsu Warrior of the Wudang Sect and advanced.
The left-hand blade technique—the foundation of Haenam Sect martial arts.
It was what distinguished them from other sects, and the reason could be found in the history of the Haenam Sect.
The Haenam Sect was located at Yeomobong Peak on Haenam Island in the southern part of the Empire.
Originally, that place was little more than a punching bag for pirates.
Thus, to protect themselves, they accepted martial techniques from various regions and developed them as their foundation.
Because of this, they cultivated thoroughly practical martial arts rather than techniques focused on flashiness or appearances.
It could be said to resemble Gong Min Warrior, the elder brother of Captain Yong.
Since they primarily had to face pirates, they mainly employed tactics of boarding pirate ships and launching surprise attacks.
During these encounters, they often needed to hang onto something, so they would grip a structure with their right hand to support their body while wielding a blade with their left.
Moreover, since they needed to strike quickly and retreat, they primarily used swift blade techniques, and often employed the reverse grip technique to effectively claim the lives of pirates.
For a moment, they probed each other fiercely.
Slash!
Swish!
And as if their judgment was complete, without either moving first, they both pushed off the ground and rushed toward each other.
Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master gritted her teeth to meet the blade of Cheongryu Warrior, which swung in all manner of bizarre trajectories.
It must be because the opponent was more difficult to handle than expected.
That was when it happened.
Scrape!
Cheongryu Warrior’s blade, moving along a completely unexpected trajectory, sliced through one of the badges on Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master’s shoulder.
Beyond her guard shattering, blood streamed from her shoulder as if it had been sliced clean through.
Yet she paid it no mind, driving her left fist forward.
Crack!
In that same instant, the Cheongryu Warrior’s guard shattered.
Blood sprayed across the arena floor.
Of course—Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master was not one to yield to such a wound.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang!
More than ten exchanges erupted in rapid succession, and the spectators watched the fierce duel with bated breath, palms slick with sweat.
I too focused intently on their combat.
A battle where neither side gave an inch.
As they bled, their guards began breaking one by one.
How much time had passed?
Both fighters’ garments were stained crimson in countless places, and each held only a single guard remaining.
Truly evenly matched—a clash of titans.
The moment hung suspended in tension.
Whoosh!
The Cheongryu Warrior struck first.
Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master launched herself forward in immediate counterattack.
Then.
“…!”
Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master released her sword from her grip. And….
Scrape.
The Cheongryu Warrior’s blade sliced through her ribs, blood spraying. She clamped his sword firmly against her side with her body, and laughed bitterly.
Immediately came another sound.
Crack!
The Cheongryu Warrior’s guard shattered under Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master’s fist.
Sacrifice flesh to gain bone—a strategy everyone knew.
But to employ it with such reckless brilliance.
Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master staggered backward, her lips curling upward as she spoke.
“I have won.”
The Cheongryu Warrior, who had been standing dazed, came to his senses at her words and bowed his head.
“I have lost.”
From what I could tell, he seemed to have surrendered in admiration of her audacious resolve—willingly impaling herself upon his blade to seize victory.
Geum Yeon-hwa ascended the Martial Arts Arena and declared the victor.
“The final champion of the Cheon-jo Tournament is Jegal Yu-ah!”
“Roooaarrr!”
A deafening roar shook the heavens and filled the entire arena.
“The Hundred Strategies Cold Blade! The Hundred Strategies Cold Blade!”
“Hehe. I won.”
Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master murmured those words and collapsed directly onto the arena floor.
“Yu-ah! Good heavens, you reckless child!”
Over there, the Jegal Family Head was pacing back and forth anxiously.
Soon, attendants rushed over and carried her on a stretcher to the Medical Office.
Sigh, another reason to visit the Medical Office.
I exhaled deeply and watched the Cheongryu Warrior descending from the Martial Arts Arena.
His expression was hollow and deflated.
Understandably so.
Yet there was something heavy weighing on his face….
“Then, this concludes the Cheon-jo preliminary tournament.”
Thus, the Cheon-jo preliminaries came to an end, and starting tomorrow, the Ji-jo main tournament begins.
I will be competing in the Ji-jo main tournament.
Regardless, I should visit the Medical Office.

A short while later.
I made my way to the Medical Office accompanied by my Guard Warriors. There, I found the Dae-nok Warrior hastily devouring dumplings.
“You there, stop eating already.”
“Ah, Senior Brother. No matter how much I eat, I’m still hungry. What can I do?”
“Good grief… At this rate, you’ll spend all the money you earned today on dumplings.”
“Gasp! That cannot happen.”
I couldn’t shake the reasonable suspicion that the Sect Master of the Yeon Gyeol Sect had refused to teach them the secrets of the Yeon Gyeol martial techniques simply because they genuinely lacked sufficient provisions.
Even though considerable time had passed since the Dae-nok Warrior’s match ended, he was still eating dumplings.
I smiled and joined their conversation.
“It’s fine. I’ll cover the cost of the dumplings.”
“Gasp! Great Hero!”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
The Dae-nok Warrior spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“I apologize. I ended up losing.”
“It’s fine. Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master is no easy opponent. And she has become the final victor of this Cheon-jo tournament.”
“I see.”
“Since you’re recovered, rather than staying here, it would be better to head to the Yeon Pung Inn and have a proper meal.”
“Y-yes, I shall do that.”
He glanced at me cautiously. I understood what he meant.
“And don’t worry. I won’t cancel my sponsorship or anything like that. From the start, I never set winning as a condition.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Once your treatment is complete, go to the Yeon Pung Inn and eat comfortably. And don’t eat too hastily, or you’ll suffer terribly from indigestion.”
“Understood.”
Thus, the Dae-nok Warrior and the Su-am Warrior headed to the Yeon Pung Inn, and I spoke to Palgap.
“You did well.”
“It was truly exhausting.”
“So how many plates of dumplings did you eat?”
“Probably around thirty plates.”
“….”
The number was far greater than I expected, and I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.
“How did all of that fit in your stomach?”
“I’m amazed myself.”
I chuckled softly and made my way toward where Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master was located.
The Jegal Family Head was also present there.
“I pay my respects to the Family Head.”
The Family Head graciously acknowledged my greeting.
“Yes, it’s been a while. Good to see you.”
“How is the Minor Clan Master?”
“She’s lost quite a bit of blood. I’ll need to administer a blood-replenishing elixir. The wound is quite deep, and stopping the bleeding has proven rather difficult.”
That made sense.
Her side had been cut deeply.
I handed him a small bottle.
“What is this?”
“It’s a spiritual medicine highly effective for hemostasis. It should prove helpful.”
“Thank you.”
Since it was the concentrated essence, its effects would be remarkable.
I had given Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master a wound-healing salve before, but I couldn’t ask her to use it while she was unconscious, so I had no choice but to provide the concentrated essence I possessed.
The reason I was giving this to her was that Jegal Yu-ah was an important piece in the puzzle of my revenge.
Rationally speaking, that was the case, but emotionally, seeing someone with whom I shared a deep connection lying gravely wounded was deeply unsettling.
“Ah, Family Head. Please keep it secret that I provided this.”
“Why is that?”
“You’ll understand once you see the effects of the medicine.”
With that, I clasped my fist in salute and left the medical office.
Hmm, the Cheon-jo martial tournament ended early, so I have some time to spare.
I wonder if the Ji Clan has still not made a decision?
As I walked with such thoughts, a familiar voice reached my ears.
It was the voice of Cheongryu Warrior.
“I apologize, Sect Master. I should have won the championship and claimed the prize money….”
“It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m sorry for burdening you with such a heavy responsibility at such a young age.”
“Sect Master….”
“Don’t be too discouraged. Hehe, who knows? Perhaps a nugget of gold will fall from somewhere.”
“How could that possibly happen?”
“I’ll try to meet with other people and borrow some money.”
“Haven’t they all already refused?”
“One shouldn’t give up after being refused once. And if worst comes to worst, one can simply kneel again. Hehehehe.”
“Sigh, Sect Master… shouldn’t you preserve at least some dignity?”
“Dignity doesn’t put food on the table, you fool.”
What on earth was happening here?
From what I could gather, it seemed they needed financial assistance of some kind.
Was that why Cheongryu Warrior’s expression had been so heavy?
Regardless, I found myself smiling at the Haenam Sect Leader’s words.
Perhaps it was the sight of the Ji Clan’s rigid and contradictory nature that made me want to help them.
Of course, for a prestigious family with tradition, pride matters.
But as the Sect Master said, pride doesn’t fill bellies.
Should I ask them about their circumstances?
I approached them and cupped my fist toward Cheongryu Warrior.
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Ah, yes. I am Cheongryu of the Haenam Sect.”
“Your performance in today’s tournament was truly remarkable.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled and spoke to the Sect Master as well.
“You have truly raised an excellent disciple.”
“I appreciate you saying so.”
“However, I couldn’t help but overhear that the Haenam Sect seems to be in need of financial assistance.”
They looked taken aback by my words.
“So, if it wouldn’t be too presumptuous, might I ask about your circumstances?”
At my question, Cheongryu Warrior glanced uncertainly at the Sect Master.
The Sect Master sighed and spoke.
“Well… it’s our fault for discussing such matters in public, so I suppose there’s no helping it.”
“Before you continue, please speak freely. I’m still quite young, after all.”
“In that case, well… ahem.”
The Sect Master cleared his throat and began his explanation.
“The truth is, a fierce storm struck Haenam Island this past summer, causing considerable hardship to the people living there.”
Now that he mentioned it, I did recall hearing such news.
Since I had no direct involvement with Haenam Island, I had simply heard it and moved on.
“So we need considerable funds to aid them, but as you know, our Main Compound isn’t particularly wealthy.”
“Wouldn’t the Empire provide support for relief of the common people?”
He laughed bitterly at my question.
“The entire Empire has been struggling with poor harvests. Because of that, we can’t expect substantial support. Moreover, much of that aid money tends to disappear along the way.”
Haenam Island, being far from the Imperial Capital and an island by nature, was beyond the effective reach of Imperial control.
In other words, the officials of Haenam Island were pocketing a portion of those funds for themselves.
This was an opportunity to accomplish something worthwhile after a long time.
I had been worried about lacking matters to report to the Emperor in my capacity as Inspector Censor, and this had come at a perfect moment.
“So that’s what happened. Then the Haenam Sect participated in the friendly tournament to earn relief funds for them?”
“Precisely. As you know, the championship prize for the friendly tournament is ten thousand taels. We intended to use that money to aid the people of Haenam Island.”
I could sense sincerity in the Sect Master’s words.
Sect Master, are you a bodhisattva?
“Why do you ask such a thing?”
“Because I’m in awe of the Sect Master and the Haenam Sect’s compassion.”
I pressed further.
“But why go to such lengths?”
“Well, the people living on Haenam Island are practically family to the Haenam Sect. There are few among them who have no connection to our main sect.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Even so, there was no reason for a martial sect to concern itself with the welfare of common folk.
Yet seeing them exert such effort for the people’s relief, I began to understand why the Haenam Sect commanded such respect.
Relief efforts…
Then I couldn’t possibly stand aside.
“You mentioned needing ten thousand silver taels?”
“That’s correct.”
“I will provide that sum.”
The Sect Master’s eyes narrowed with caution at my words.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but our sect lacks the means to offer assistance to the Eun Hae Trading Company in return.”
“There’s no need for concern.”
I continued.
“This money comes from me personally, not from the Eun Hae Trading Company.”
“Such a sum, you say?”
In truth, ten thousand silver taels was indeed a considerable amount.
But for a cause like this, I was prepared to give generously.
“But why were you refused elsewhere?”
At my question, Cheongryu Warrior sighed and spoke.
“Truth be told, this isn’t our first time borrowing. We’ve accumulated roughly three hundred thousand taels so far. And…”
“You haven’t been able to repay it.”
“We are making steady repayments nonetheless. We’re not the sort of dishonorable people you might think.”
In reality, though sects and families appeared wealthy, the costs of maintaining their organizations and preserving their dignity were substantial, leaving their finances tighter than one might expect.
It was difficult for creditors to extend further loans when they couldn’t recover what they’d already lent and received only small repayments in return.
In truth, merchants possessed the most wealth.
That’s why most martial sects and families typically had a trading company that sponsored them.
The Ji Clan was the anomaly.
The Ji Clan had squandered several million taels through business ventures and gambling, yet remained unable to repay their debts while maintaining an insufferably proud demeanor…
Meanwhile, the Haenam Sect’s leader was willing to humble himself before others just to secure ten thousand taels for the relief of Haenam Island’s people…
Ah, the contrast was striking.

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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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