The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 631

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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 631

Chapter 631. A Will Passed Down (3)

I asked Geumryeong what was wrong.
– What’s the problem?
– Squeak. Squeak!
Ah…
So that was left behind for the descendants living here, and she couldn’t eat it herself?
I never even said I’d give it to her…
But Geumryeong is right about this.
The treasure marked on this map belongs to an ancestor who settled in Chungyeongseong, left as a legacy for his descendants.
At first, I thought it had no owner.
The Emperor told me to claim anything valuable before others could get their hands on it, but circumstances have changed.
It would be like brazenly seizing a legacy that a father painstakingly prepared and left for his son or grandson.
However, there is one more problem.
Whether this family can properly protect it here in Chungyeongseong.
Why else would there be a saying that maintaining a family is harder than establishing one?
But that’s a problem for later—first, I need to find the treasure.
All of that becomes relevant only after I’ve found it.
Now that I think about it, what I saw earlier—[Do not look upward but downward. We have always been at the bottom, and that is where true comfort lies]—this must have referred to that.
It meant to examine the bottom of the box.

We exited Geom Chong and immediately summoned people.
In total, thirty people gathered.
I selected only those I could trust and who kept their mouths shut.
I assembled all my Guard Warriors, and Yeon Yu-mun also brought only the martial masters he could rely on.
We moved swiftly and soon arrived at the location indicated by the map drawn on silk.
It was the Temple of Mu Hyang-hou within Chungyeongseong.
Mu Hyang-hou did have connections to the Yunnan Region.
He captured Meng Huo seven times and released him seven times, until finally Meng Huo submitted to him in admiration.
And he left this place without leaving behind any soldiers or administrators, departing cleanly.
Thus, the people of Yunnan hold Mu Hyang-hou in considerable respect—enough to build a shrine in his honor.
– Kwee! Kwee!
Seeing Geumryeong wiggle his hips happily as he danced, it seemed there was an enormous amount of treasure.
– You can’t eat it anyway, so you’re still happy about it?
– Kwee! Kwee!
I know, so stop being so obvious about it. Haha.
Yes. There are things that bring joy simply by looking at them.
“Are you certain this is the place?”
Yeon Yu-mun nodded at Kwon Great Master’s question.
“Yes. I am certain.”
He continued.
“I can also guess why my ancestor stored treasures here. He must have believed that the people of this place would not destroy it out of respect for Mu Hyang-hou. In fact, that is also a taboo in this Yunnan Region.”
“Then let us enter.”
And so we entered the Temple of Mu Hyang-hou.
First, I should observe proper etiquette.
We bowed respectfully before the portrait of Mu Hyang-hou.
Then I carefully removed the scroll depicting Mu Hyang-hou, rolled it up properly, and set it aside.
Meanwhile, Yeon Yu-mun moved according to the instructions written on the silk.
He turned the sturdy wooden post that had held the large scroll depicting Mu Hyang-hou—twice to the left, twice to the right, seven times to the left, and three times to the right.
Click-click-click.
Then the wall itself where the scroll had hung began to descend, and within it appeared the form of an earthen brick wall.
I carefully touched it and lightly struck it with my fist.
Thud-thud.
It was hollow inside.
“Let us break through this earthen wall.”
At my words, Kwon Great Master nodded, and we rushed forward to break through the earthen wall.
Since it was not built to be particularly sturdy, the earthen bricks shattered easily.
And within, a hidden door became visible.
Kwon Great Master pulled at the handle to open the door, but it did not budge.
“It might be different if Yeon Yu-mun tries to open it.”
“Ah! That could very well be.”
At my words, Kwon Great Master stepped back, and Yeon Yu-mun moved forward.
As he grasped the handle and pulled, the door opened with surprising ease, as if by magic.
When the interior was revealed, our eyes widened in astonishment.
It was because of the treasures piled within.
Such an enormous quantity of gold and silver that even Geum Ryung-i’s hips trembled with excitement.
There was so much that the interior gleamed with a golden hue.
Moving all of this would not be easy.
Then something caught my eye.
Something that did not belong in this space at all—a blood-stained scroll.
Yeon Yu-mun picked it up and unrolled it.
What was written there was in the Imperial language, and everyone could read it.

[This treasure is for our descendants. Noble one who has obtained this, if you return this wealth to my descendants, we shall repay your kindness with eternal gratitude.]

Because of the blood staining the scroll, the message seemed all the more poignant.
Not a warning to enemies or instructions for descendants who might find this, but such a plea instead.
Perhaps the ancestor of Chungyeongseong who kept this here knew that these treasures would fall into the Emperor’s hands.
That must be why they left a message with such contents.
“What shall we do now?”
“Moving this is problematic. There is no guarantee that it will not be tampered with along the way….”
If such a thing were to happen, Kwon Great Master would face the Emperor’s censure.
Though we had discovered this treasure, we could not simply rejoice.
This was the weight that a person in charge must bear.
I spoke to Kwon Great Master.
“Great Master, perhaps we should summon the Fortress Lord first. It would be wise to discuss this with him.”
“That would be best.”

A moment later.
The Fortress Lord arrived at Mu Hyang-hou’s Shrine after receiving word from Yeon Yu-mun.
“What is the matter? I was told it was urgent.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Kwon Great Master spoke on our behalf.
“This matter requires your assistance, Fortress Lord, and your decision. But first, I should explain everything from the beginning.”
He paused to catch his breath, then turned to me.
“From here on, Eun Seo-ho, you explain.”
“Yes. I will explain.”
I recounted the entire sequence of events to the Fortress Lord.
“…And so we came here following the map drawn on that silk.”
“I see.”
“And we discovered this inside.”
I led the Fortress Lord into the chamber.
“….”
Thump.
Upon witnessing the gold and silver stacked abundantly within, the Fortress Lord’s legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.
“My goodness! Are you alright?”
“…Is this real?”
“Yes, of course. Cha Chief verified it for us.”
“I cannot believe it.”
I retrieved one of the pieces and handed it to him.
“Try biting it.”
At my suggestion, the Fortress Lord carefully bit into it, then gazed intently at the clear teeth marks left behind.
“Indeed. This is genuine gold.”
The Fortress Lord regained his composure and asked calmly.
“Then why have you summoned me?”
“We must transport this to Beijing.”
I continued.
“This was left behind by your ancestor. So I will ensure these treasures are used for the benefit of Chungyeongseong.”
At my words, the Fortress Lord shook his head slightly.
“You need not trouble yourself so.”
“Sir?”
“Truth be told, I was pleased to see them at first. But….”
The Fortress Lord gazed at his empty sleeve as he spoke.
“If those treasures remain here, Chungyeongseong will have to endure that terrible ordeal once more.”
The Fortress Lord clenched his remaining fist tightly.
“Countless people will covet this land because of that gold. If Chungyeongseong can remain safe, then such things are unnecessary!”
“….”
The previous incident had left a profound wound upon the Fortress Lord’s heart.
That is precisely why the Fortress Lord refuses such an enormous sum of gold and silver.
Still, knowing of the Fortress Lord’s past life, I could not deny his choice.
Yet if there is one thing that helps the Fortress Lord after experiencing such trials, it is that he can now face reality directly.
“And did you not say so yourself? Our ancestor’s letter instructed us to prioritize survival above all else.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“These treasures would seem to hinder rather than aid our survival.”
“I understand.”
I lowered my head in acknowledgment.
“I accept the Fortress Lord’s will. However, I ask that you help me transport these safely to the Imperial Palace.”
“Very well.”
We put our heads together and fell into contemplation, until the Fortress Lord conceived of a brilliant plan.
“Ah! This should work perfectly.”
.
.
.
After completing all arrangements, we each returned to our quarters.
Jin Yu Warrior had returned to my quarters.
“How did it go?”
“As you commanded, I pursued them and discovered their base. It is here in Yunnan.”
“What is their strength?”
“From what I observed, they are not particularly formidable. Their numbers are around twenty, with perhaps two Peak Martial Masters among them.”
“That should be manageable for us alone.”
“It should be sufficient.”
I rose from my seat.
“Then let us deal with them.”
Now I must escort the gold and silver discovered at Mu Hyang-hou’s Shrine to Beijing.
If they learn of this, it will become troublesome, so I must handle this as quickly as possible.

Night fell.
I departed my quarters with my Guard Warriors.
When we drew near to the location Jin Yu Warrior had mentioned, I retrieved the laughing mask from the Secret Vault.
“Tonight, let us wear these masks.”
“Understood.”
“It has been a long time since we used them.”
We donned the laughing masks and prepared for the assault, when Jin Yu Warrior asked.
“Shall we take them alive?”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“We need only extract certain information. Keep only those who can provide it, and eliminate the rest.”

The Emperor said, “While searching the Sword Shrine, uninvited guests will inevitably slip in. Among them, there will likely be those orchestrating schemes to seize Chungyeongseong. Find out who they are.” He requested information only, not their capture.
He understood the difficulty of bringing them back alive.
The Emperor knew this well.
It would be nearly impossible to capture them and return them safely.
While transporting captives, their superiors would attempt to silence them by execution, and preventing that would be extraordinarily difficult.
Innocent people might be sacrificed, or someone might be forced to bear responsibility for failure.
The Emperor wished to spare his people from such burdens.
Truly a benevolent ruler.
Though he certainly works us hard enough. Damn.
The aura of the Black Path, tinged increasingly with blood, grew thicker. This confirmed that place was indeed the headquarters of those who had infiltrated the Sword Shrine.
We approached it.
A place disguised as an inn.
I closed my eyes and focused on sensing their presence.
I detected no aura of ordinary guests inside.
Of course—no ordinary traveler would lodge this far out.
– I will explain the strategy.
While Jin Yu Warrior and I handle the Peak Martial Masters, the remaining five warriors will deal with the others.
They deployed two Peak Martial Masters!
It shows how critical the Sword Shrine situation truly is.
– Let’s go.
– Yes.
Jin Yu Warrior and I burst forward like arrows. We began extinguishing the flames with sword wind.
The inn plunged into darkness in an instant.
Those inside panicked and scattered in confusion, but we, already adapted to the darkness, moved naturally.
And at the transcendent level, one can move without difficulty by sensing presence alone.
Jin Yu Warrior and I located the Peak Martial Masters within and rushed toward them.

* * *

Hwang Gu was a Peak Martial Master.
He held a fairly high position within the organization.
His skills warranted it.
He had been dispatched to Yunnan this time.
As a result, he could execute operations freely without worrying about his superiors’ scrutiny.
However, his standing had weakened considerably of late.
A year ago, he had conspired with the Imperial Envoys of Chungyeongseong, the Geumui Guard, and the Dongchang to execute a plan to seize Chungyeongseong.
But that operation had failed.
Moreover, the Imperial Palace had now dispatched forces to search the Sword Shrine of Chungyeongseong.
Learning of this, his superiors naturally pressured him.

“Extract everything you can from them! Find out how they discovered the Geom Chong’s existence in Chungyeongseong!”

To properly execute that order, I sent my most trusted subordinates, but…

“The spirit sleeping within the Geom Chong must have been angered.”
“We clearly heard it say it would not spare us!”
“It was truly terrifying!”

Listening to this, I found myself at a loss for words.
Yet I could not report such matters to my superiors.
Their reaction would be predictable.
Instead, I sent a letter reporting that my subordinates had discovered a hidden room as they claimed, and received a response.
The order was to steal those items when they traveled to Beijing.
So I was now devising a plan for this operation.
If this mission failed, my life would be forfeit.
With my skills, they would not kill me outright, but I would lose all my current power and status.
And I would be reassigned beneath those who were once beneath me—which was as good as death.
My pride would never allow it.
“So perhaps it would be better to poison them by lacing the stream water as they pass through here?”
As I muttered this and scribbled on paper with my brush.
Whoosh!
Suddenly the light extinguished. And immediately, a cold sensation touched the back of my neck.
Swallowing hard and turning my head, I saw a white smiling mask gleaming in the moonlight within the darkness.
“So you are the one who has tormented my descendant!”
“W-who are you?”
“I have come to take the one who tormented my descendant to the afterlife.”
My body trembled at those words.
‘Were my subordinates’ words true?’
A living person would never emit such a frigid aura.
‘It must be the aura of the afterlife…’
Hwang Gu finally lost consciousness.
Thud.
“H-hey there? I mean, you’re not going to faint just because I made a joke, are 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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