The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 622

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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 622

Chapter 622. The Sword Shrine of Chungyeongseong (1)

To expand the Eun Hae Trading Company’s Luoyang Branch, I needed to grease the wheels in various places.
The first person I had to visit was the League Master.
Sigh… I didn’t want to go, but there was no choice.
In Luoyang, meeting the League Master once was far more effective than meeting a hundred other people.
I sent Lee Pil Warrior to arrange an appointment.
Since he was so busy, I had to schedule in advance to have any chance of meeting him this month.
Besides, it was now January.
The beginning of the year was always a hectic time.

Our Eun Hae Trading Company’s ranking had risen during this winter solstice period.
Seventeenth place.
Considering we were twentieth last time, we had climbed three positions.
This reflected the positive results from our foreign trade dealings and the acquisition of the foundry we had taken over.
While it might seem slow compared to how hard we and the company members were working, I was satisfied with our steady, methodical ascent as we reinforced our foundations.
Comparing my past life to now, the foundation was completely different.
Back then, we focused on rapid growth and failed to build a solid foundation, which made us vulnerable to interference from other trading companies.
I needed to climb steadily, prepared firmly enough that no one’s interference could shake us.
Only then could we truly become the Greatest Under Heaven Trading Company.
Moreover, the moment when hidden assets would reveal their true value was approaching.

“My lord. It is I, Lee Pil.”
“Yes. Please come in.”
The door to the guest chamber opened and Lee Pil Warrior entered.
“I have come to request a meeting with the League Master.”
“You have labored well.”
Now I simply had to wait for word.
The League Master was an extraordinarily busy man, so anyone wishing to meet him had to request it in advance.
Then the office managing his schedule would discuss the matter with the League Master and inform us when a meeting could be arranged.
After Lee Pil Warrior departed, I exhaled deeply.
“Why the sigh?”
At Seo Hyang’s concerned inquiry, I laughed lightly.
“It suddenly occurred to me that the road ahead remains long, but it is nothing. I am not one to grow weary at this stage.”
“Still, do ensure you rest at proper hours.”
“Yes. I understand.”
Just then, Seo Hyang seemed to drift into thought before looking at me with a smile.
“Why do you smile so?”
“It appears we shall meet sooner than expected.”
“…Pardon?”
It seems the meeting will be arranged quite quickly.
Damn it, I am not yet prepared…

The next day.
After breakfast, while I was working in the guest chamber, Palgap called for me.
“Young Master! A visitor has arrived.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes. They have come from the Murim Alliance. They are currently waiting on the first floor of the inn.”
I immediately opened the door and descended to the first floor.
There, a familiar figure sat sipping tea, waiting for me.
It was Wang Gu, a squad leader of the Murim Alliance’s enforcement division, the one who had come to fetch me regarding the disappearance of the golden Buddha statue.
“This merchant greets Squad Leader Wang.”
He returned my respectful bow.
“Please, do not be so formal. If the Seonhyeop Mirang Great Swordmaster were to show such courtesy to someone like me, people would talk.”
“It is only proper respect for one who labors for the order of the Murim.”
“I am grateful for your kind words. Hahaha.”
Having thus eased the atmosphere, I asked:
“What brings you to this place?”
“The League Master summons you.”
Thanks to Seo Hyang’s hint, I had anticipated this, but was it truly happening?
Nevertheless, I feigned surprise as I asked:
“Is that so? The League Master himself?”
“Haven’t you submitted a request for an audience with the League Master?”
“That’s true, but I thought it would take at least a fortnight before such a meeting could be arranged.”
“Haha. How could we possibly keep the Murim’s hero, the Seonhyeop Mirang Great Swordmaster, waiting for a fortnight?”
“The League Master is an exceedingly busy man with numerous prior commitments, is he not?”
“It’s no trouble. He always reserves portions of his schedule for unforeseen circumstances.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
“If you’re available now, shall we proceed? Otherwise, I can wait a bit longer.”
I wanted to tell him to wait, but if I did, he’d surely harbor resentment or grumble about it behind my back.
“Then I’ll prepare myself and come down shortly.”
I was meeting him just one day after requesting the audience.
If it weren’t for Seo Hyang, I would have been genuinely flustered.
I didn’t even have time to mentally prepare myself.

I made quick preparations and came downstairs, then followed Wang Gu to the Murim Alliance.
After being guided, I entered the League Master’s guest reception room.
“Eun Seo-ho of the Eun Hae Trading Company pays his respects to the League Master.”
“Hehe, delighted to see you. Please, sit.”
“Thank you.”
We sat facing each other, and a maidservant poured warm tea for us.
The League Master smiled warmly and asked.
“So, how have you been all this time?”
“Thanks to your kindness, I’ve been well without incident.”
“From the way you move, your leg seems to have healed completely.”
He was referring to the injury I sustained while rescuing people from the fire at the Martial Arts Grand Conference.
“Yes. I’ve recovered almost entirely. I still cannot overexert myself, but there’s no difficulty in my daily activities.”
“That’s fortunate indeed.”
“In truth, I feel deeply apologetic. You gave me an opportunity at the Martial Arts Grand Conference, and I squandered it through my own carelessness. I cannot help but feel remorseful.”
I lowered my head.
So why did you have to recommend me and cause me this trouble?
At this, the League Master chuckled.
“Not at all. It was unavoidable, was it not? As I conveyed before, think nothing of it.”
“I’m grateful for your understanding.”
The reason I apologize repeatedly like this is that people in high positions tend to have strong pride and petty dispositions.
And if the League Master were to harbor ill feelings toward me, it would truly be exhausting.
“Well then, what brings you to request this meeting today?”
“First, please accept this.”
I placed the gifts I had brought onto the low table.
“What is this?”
“I prepared this during my recent journey to Haenam Island.”
“Haenam Island? You traveled all the way there?”
“Yes. I had some business matters to attend to.”
I spoke thus while observing the League Master’s gaze intently.
There was a high probability he already knew I had visited Haenam Island.
If I deliberately concealed this, suspicion toward me would certainly resurface.
I had only just managed to dispel his interest and doubts about me—I couldn’t afford to rekindle them.
That was precisely why I chose not to hide this from him.
“I recalled that you enjoyed tea, so I brought back Gojung tea, a specialty of that region.”
I opened the box myself and displayed the carefully wrapped tea.
“This is premium grade!”
“Yes. Since it was a gift for you, I took great care in selecting it.”
“It looks excellent. I shall enjoy it well.”
The League Master accepted the gift with a satisfied expression and set it beside him.
“So then, what else did you wish to discuss? You wouldn’t have asked to see me merely to present a gift.”
Now came the main matter.
“In truth, our Eun Hae Trading Company intends to expand the Luoyang Branch somewhat.”
“The branch?”
“Yes. The existing Luoyang Branch is too small, making it difficult to increase our transactions.”
“I suppose that’s true. Have you secured the land for expansion?”
“Yes.”
When I mentioned the property I had recently purchased, the League Master tilted his head quizzically.
“If my memory serves, isn’t that the location of the haunted estate?”
“That’s correct.”
“But how could you choose such a place?”
“Suitable land was difficult to find.”
“That may be so, but couldn’t you purchase land adjacent to the existing branch?”
“As you say, that would be an option, but it would require far too much capital.”
I continued speaking.
“Though the Eun Hae Trading Company is growing these days, we lack the resources to invest such substantial funds in branch expansion.”
“True enough—when the buyer is desperate, they must pay a premium.”
“Precisely. So while searching for alternative properties, I learned that land could be purchased at a reasonable price and proceeded with the acquisition.”
This should ease his wariness somewhat.
“Well, I’m hardly in a position to comment on the company’s circumstances. Still, I confess I am concerned.”
“What provides some reassurance is that no one has actually died from the ghost.”
That was true.
Aside from the Manor Lord who was slaughtered initially and his household, there had been no deaths.
There were injuries, but those were merely from people falling in fright.
“Moreover, with you present in Luoyang, what cause for concern could there be? Haha.”
At my words, the League Master’s expression momentarily turned slightly sour.
That place was a failure and a blemish upon the Murim Alliance, after all.
I knew this full well, yet I deliberately scratched at his pride in this manner.
Ah, that clears my mind a bit.
“Yes… that’s right.”
“Then, I’m counting on you.”
After my meeting with the League Master, I left the Murim Alliance.
Despite the fact that he surely knew of my impending marriage, he made no mention of it—a clear sign that he no longer held much interest in me.
A relief, that.
His attention had never been particularly welcome.
With the League Master’s approval secured, I could now begin construction.
But there was something I needed to do first.
I went to the inn, collected Seo Hyang, and made my way to the property I had recently purchased.
I needed her help to communicate with Dambi.
Upon arriving at the estate, I asked Seo Hyang to find Dambi for me.
She quickly located the creature.
“There it is. Come here.”
Soon Dambi nestled into her arms, and I could finally see it clearly.
“Hello.”
At my greeting, Dambi’s tail wagged.
“We’ve purchased this land. We’ll be constructing a branch building of the Eun Hae Trading Company here soon.”
“Chirp, chirp!”
At Dambi’s response, Geumryeong emerged from my sleeve and spoke to me.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
“So you’re saying as long as we don’t interfere with the meridian, you have no objections?”
Dambi nodded.
“Understood. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I examined Dambi carefully as I made this promise.
Though clearly visible to my eyes, I sensed no spiritual energy whatsoever.
And while Geumryeong could see this creature and converse with it, she couldn’t detect the scent of treasures hidden underground.
This led me to form a hypothesis.
Perhaps it was due to the nature inherent in the pure energy flowing from this meridian.
The meridians of earth-qi flowing through the land each possess their own unique properties.
Gentle properties, clear properties, sharp properties, and so forth.
And the martial arts of sects and families established at such locations bear those same properties.
Too coincidental to be mere chance.
Based on all the evidence so far, the nature of this meridian must be concealment.
That’s why people remained unaware this place was even a meridian.
I myself didn’t know until I performed breathing exercises here directly.
Though the Previous Seolpung Palace Master seemed to have noticed.
If that’s the case, I should make use of it.
As the spirit creature protecting this estate, it should be capable of wielding abilities related to that nature.
“So, would it be possible for you to make the presence of this estate and its buildings somewhat less conspicuous?”
“Squeak?”
Even without Geum Ryung-i translating, I could guess what she was saying.
So it meant, “Why should I do that?”
Which, in turn, meant she could do it.
“Remember how I removed the golden stone barrier that was blocking the meridians of this place?”
“….”
“And now that you’ve become a Spirit Creature, you don’t even remember my kindness?”
“Squeeeak….”
“Chirp.”
“You find it bothersome? Then should I cover this entire ground with golden stones again? Actually, since I’m laying them anyway, I might as well cover the whole place. It’ll be so shiny and bright, and no dirt will stick to it.”
“….”
At my words, Dambi’s ears perked up sharply, and her tail stiffened, trembling with agitation.
She clearly found the very thought unbearable.
“So, will you help me with this request?”
At my question, Dambi nodded vigorously.
The creature should have agreed from the start!
And now that I’d discovered her weakness, I held the upper hand in this negotiation.
The reason I’d made such a request was to keep the Eun Hae Trading Company as inconspicuous as possible.
My movements would become increasingly noticeable in the days ahead, so I needed to obscure the Murim Alliance’s attention however I could.
.
.
.
The next day.
The laborers I’d hired began clearing the estate.
First, we needed to remove the surrounding vegetation, clean the buildings, and carry out repairs.
Though no one had volunteered to work at a place rumored to be haunted, once I promised substantial compensation, laborers gathered quickly enough.
Indeed, money was more frightening than ghosts.
Though the weather was cold, the work progressed smoothly since there was almost no digging required.
The estate buildings had been reconstructed after the Manor Lord and his household were slaughtered.
However, since people had only lived here for a brief period, the structures hadn’t deteriorated much.
Normally, buildings fall into disrepair when uninhabited, but the spiritual energy of this place seemed to have prevented that.
I felt quite satisfied having found such suitable land.
Still, the map I’d discovered this time continued to weigh on my mind.
It had marked the location of Chungyeongseong’s Sword Shrine and outlined the preliminary work needed to explore it.
The goal had been to establish Chungyeongseong as an independent nation, keeping it beyond the Empire’s notice.
Should that fail, the contingency was to thoroughly destroy Chungyeongseong so that no one would take interest in it.
Either way, the objective was to explore the Sword Shrine without drawing the Empire’s attention.
The preliminary work required time, but the actual exploration wouldn’t take long.
So by the time the Emperor realized something had gone wrong with Chungyeongseong and came to perform the memorial rite, the work would already be complete.
This time, my intervention had allowed Chungyeongseong to remain safe.
But would they really give up on this?
Not a chance.
They’ll definitely try something else.
The problem is how to stop them….
To prevent their schemes, someone must explore that Sword Shrine first and diminish its value.
Only then will Chungyeongseong be safe.
And unlike the fake Sword Shrine of Hyeol Gon Seong Seung, this one seemed like a genuine Sword Shrine.
It’s truly wasteful to hand it over to them.
But conducting such a large-scale exploration would require quite a few people.
And trustworthy ones at that.
If that’s the case, there’s only one way.
I’ll have to draw in the Emperor.

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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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