The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 642

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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 642

Chapter 642. Upheaval in Sichuan Province (5)

Palgap’s reaction was faster than mine.
“Isn’t this a hot spring?”
Geum-ryeong nodded his head.
“Chirp! Chirp!”
If I soaked myself in this water, the pain would go away?
I found myself laughing despite myself.
How thoughtful. Bringing me to a hot spring like this.
But this seems like an undiscovered hot spring?
There was only a pool of water sitting alone, with no other facilities or people in sight.
Sichuan is indeed famous for its hot springs.
And since Geum-ryeong brought me here, I should try it.
I removed my outer robe and shoes, then carefully stepped into the large pool of hot spring water.
It was deeper than I expected, so I found a rock underwater to sit on, and the water reached up to my neck.
The temperature was just right.
“Chirp!”
Geum-ryeong also entered the hot spring, paddling with his front legs as he swam.
“But how did you know about this place?”
“Chirp? Chirp! Chirp!”
Ah… he discovered this place while pursuing the stolen Eun Moo-geom that was taken before, heading toward Yunnan.
That was quite a while ago, but his memory is impressive.
“Chirp. Chirp!”
Hmm? If I’m in pain and can’t earn money, then I’ll starve, and that makes him very sad? So I shouldn’t be in pain and should earn lots of money?
What is this?
I’m grateful for his concern, but this strangely burdensome feeling…
The hot spring Geum-ryeong introduced me to was no ordinary hot spring.
After soaking for merely a quarter hour, my fatigue melted away and my body felt light.
In fact, my inner energy recovered as if I had performed breathing cultivation exercises.
What exactly is this?
A brilliant idea suddenly came to mind.
Should I develop this hot spring?
Currently, the people working to recover from the earthquake are accumulating fatigue.
If I opened this place to them, the response would be excellent.
And the recovery speed would accelerate as well.
Once this earthquake recovery is complete, I should develop it as a business venture.
“Geum-ryeong.”
“Chirp?”
“May I develop this hot spring?”
“Chirp. Chirp.”
It doesn’t matter? As long as I earn plenty of money?
With Geum-ryeong’s permission secured, I should begin moving forward in earnest.
I dressed myself properly and headed toward the Eunhae Merchant Guild Sichuan Branch.
Upon hearing of my arrival, Uncle rushed out urgently.
“Seo-ho! Are you well?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
“I heard you nearly suffered grave injury attempting to rescue the Crown Prince.”
“News travels… quite swiftly, doesn’t it.”
The fact that this information reached Uncle’s ears in less than a day suggested someone had deliberately spread the word.
“Has Sister Hyang-ok sent word?”
“Yes. She’s currently suppressing the Green Forest Bandits causing trouble in the north.”
“I see.”
Now I should broach the main subject.
“Uncle, I have a request for support regarding a business venture.”
“A business venture?”
“Yes. I’d prefer to discuss it privately.”
“Very well.”
I entered Uncle’s study and engaged in a detailed discussion.
“So you’ve discovered a new hot spring, then?”
“Yes. Moreover, I’ve confirmed its effects are far superior to other hot springs.”
“Hot spring ventures are certainly profitable. However, most hot springs are already claimed by others, which has always been regrettable. But to discover such an excellent hot spring—this is fortunate indeed.”
Uncle truly is remarkable.
Having competed with Father for the position of Merchant Guild Leader, he possesses considerable talent.
Which also means he harbors considerable ambition.
“First, I’d like to operate it free of charge during the earthquake recovery period.”
“Indeed, charging fees now would invite criticism. Operating freely now provides justification for relief efforts and serves as excellent promotion for the future.”
“Precisely.”
“Understood. The Sichuan Branch will oversee the hot spring operations.”
“Thank you.”
Since Uncle approves, I needn’t apologize for adding to his workload.
.
.
.
By the time I returned to my quarters, evening had fallen.
“You’ve returned?”
“Yes.”
Seo Hyang was waiting for me at the guest quarters.
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“Not yet….”
“How fortunate. Neither have I. Shall we dine together?”
We were currently staying at an inn.
The Crown Prince and Seongbo Wang were lodged at the Provincial Administrator’s Office, and they had invited me to stay with them as well, but that felt too burdensome.
We made our way to the dining hall, and Seo Hyang and I sat together.
“Let us sit here.”
“Yes.”
Everyone else except Seo Hyang and myself took seats at separate tables.
Soon the food we had ordered arrived.
Fortunately, the Provincial Capital had suffered no damage from the earthquake, so we could enjoy proper meals.
However, to be honest, Sichuan cuisine didn’t suit my palate, so I ordered Hubei dumplings instead.
While waiting, I sipped the tea that had arrived first and apologized to her.
“I apologize for causing you worry.”
“It’s all right.”
She shook her head.
“I knew you wouldn’t lose your life. But if you were injured, it would hurt….”
She lowered her head.
“I feel as though I shouldn’t have told you. If I hadn’t….”
“That’s not true. If you hadn’t informed me, we would have been in a dire situation. The Crown Prince’s attendants would have faced severe punishment, and I and my companions would have been unable to escape responsibility.”
“….”
“Thanks to you, many people were spared from hardship.”
“But the Small Guild Master….”
“I have something I can rely on, so I’m fine.”
“What?”
“You and my Guard Warriors would have rescued me one way or another. I have Palgap and Geum-ryeong as well.”
I felt the Guard Warriors at the other table nod as they sipped their tea.
“To be honest, I cannot promise that if you marry me, you’ll live without worry going forward. As I’ve said, my life itself is exhausting.”
In truth, when I had spoken to Seo Hyang about this before, I had mentioned that I must walk a thorny path due to vengeance, but I couldn’t say such things here.
“But I will make you this promise. I’ll do my best to live a long life. Would living to one hundred and twenty suffice?”
“What kind of promise is that….”
Seo Hyang spoke with a smile.
“Shouldn’t you live five hundred years to be considered long-lived?”
“Is that so? Haha.”
Seeing her jest like that, it seems her heart has eased. That’s a relief.
.
.
.
Starting the next day, we resumed our efforts to clear the passage through the isolated village.
“How is your health, sir?”
I nodded at Jang Jin Pyobdu, who asked with concern.
“I’m fine.”
“I was quite worried.”
“I apologize for causing you concern.”
“Not at all. I simply hope you understand that you are our… hope.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The omitted words were likely “Seolpung Palace.”

The work began.
After laboring for roughly two hours, we managed to clear the passage to the isolated village.
We proceeded toward the village through that newly opened path.
“Who are you?”
“A cart? Has the passage truly been cleared?”
“Yes, it has.”
I introduced Seongbo Wang to the villagers.
“Seongbo Wang himself has come personally.”
The villagers hastily prostrated themselves and offered proper courtesy.
“The Emperor sent me here. The passage is now open, so worry not. Is there anything else you need?”
“Several people were injured when their homes collapsed. And… do you have any food?”
I answered quickly.
“Of course.”
We moved swiftly, pouring water into a large pot, bringing it to a boil, then adding rice flour to prepare a simple congee.
No matter how spicy Sichuan cuisine typically is, those who had gone hungry needed mild food.
After visiting several villages to conduct relief efforts, I had grown accustomed to this work.
We spent that night in the village, busily attending to repairs and cleanup.
The next day, we returned to the Provincial Capital.
There, I found a letter from Uncle requesting my visit.

Upon arriving at the Sichuan Branch, my Uncle greeted me with welcome news.
“I called you because of that hot spring you mentioned. We’ve made considerable progress on it.”
“Already, Uncle?”
“Yes. Finding a hot spring is difficult, but preparing it for people to use isn’t. So, what do you think about taking the Crown Prince and Seongbo Wang to see it?”
“An excellent idea, Uncle.”
I immediately sent word to both of them, and they arrived at the Sichuan Branch together.
“What is this about?”
“Our Sichuan Branch recently discovered and developed a hot spring. It’s excellent for recovering from fatigue and should benefit the people of Sichuan greatly. I would be honored if both of you would personally inspect it.”
“That sounds wonderful. My body has been quite stiff lately.”
“It would also benefit those engaged in relief efforts.”
Both of them readily accepted my proposal.
Our guide was Dae-seok Elder Brother, my Uncle’s eldest son.
“We preserved the natural beauty as much as possible while stacking stones without disturbing the hot spring’s source.”
“Excellent work.”
Soon we arrived at the hot spring.
We marveled at how smooth stones had been arranged around it to create a wider pool.
“Elder Brother, you said you did it roughly, but it doesn’t look rough at all.”
At my words, Dae-seok Elder Brother chuckled softly.
“Father has long been planning to operate a hot spring himself.”
“Ah, I see.”
So that’s why preparations were already underway, allowing everything to progress so quickly.
Dae-seok Elder Brother spoke respectfully.
“Then, shall we enter?”
“Let’s do so.”
The Crown Prince and Seongbo Wang removed their outer robes and slowly entered the water.
“Ahh!”
“Excellent.”
Exclamations of delight escaped their lips naturally.
And well they should.
The temperature was perfect, and the water felt absolutely wonderful.
And they seemed to sense the other advantage I had discovered.
“Wait… Elder Brother, do you feel it too? My inner energy is recovering.”
“Indeed it is.”
The special quality of this hot spring was precisely that—it restored inner energy.
The Imperial Princes each possessed varying levels of skill, but all studied the Imperial Palace Martial Arts.
For self-defense and the cultivation of body and mind.
Thus Seongbo Wang had reached the first-rate realm, while the Crown Prince was slightly below that.
Though it seemed he was somewhat lower before…
In any case, they could not hide their amazement at the recovery of their inner energy.
“Eun Seo-ho! How on earth did you discover this place?”
“This is worthy of being called a Spirit Spring!”
I clasped my fists and explained the situation.
“I discovered it by chance not long ago. It seems Heaven recognized the hardships of those laboring to restore the Sichuan Region and guided me to find this place. Therefore, I intend to develop it so that many people of Sichuan can enjoy the hot spring.”
“I see.”
The Crown Prince nodded and asked.
“Then how much do you intend to charge for its use?”
“For now, I plan to operate it free of charge for a while.”
“Free?”
“Yes. I intend to allow anyone who wishes to come, immerse themselves, recover, and leave. And once the damage from this earthquake is fully repaired, I plan to formally charge admission and operate it then.”
“As a merchant, that’s no easy thing to do. Thank you for your consideration.”
Seongbo Wang smiled with satisfaction.
“If I feel heavy-bodied in the future, I should come visit.”
“It would be my honor.”
Having successfully made a favorable impression on the Crown Prince and Seongbo Wang, I could now bring others here.
The reason I brought them here was because of this hot spring’s value.
Immersing oneself in it restored one’s inner energy.
How many would covet such a treasure?
At such times, having the power to protect it would ensure smooth sailing.
And I had none other than the future Emperor—the Crown Prince—and Seongbo Wang, who would establish his princely residence in this Sichuan Region.
With such pinnacle powers protecting it, I need not fear the hot spring being seized.
“I should tell the Pojeongsa and other officials to come here and relieve their fatigue.”
“An excellent idea. Everyone’s complexion has been dreadful lately.”
“Especially in the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, I heard the Green Forest Bandits caused quite a disturbance.”
Now that I thought of it, Sister Hyang-ok was moving to suppress the Green Forest Bandits in the north.
“Still, I’m relieved to hear it’s nearly concluded.”
Then I should invite Sister and the Ami Sect disciples here as well.

Several days had passed.
During that time, the Pojeongsa, the Inspector, the Military Commander, and other officials from Sichuan Province visited the hot spring.
The Ami Sect disciples also came by, and all of them left satisfied.
Especially those who had cultivated martial arts recognized the true value of this hot spring and marveled at it.
I could hear the sound of money flowing in.
– Squawk!
Since you’re the one who told me about this hot spring, shouldn’t I give you a share of Gaebyeong?
– But where did you even learn the word Gaebyeong?
– Squawk?
– Ah… it was me.
I scratched my cheek.
Indeed, Geum-ryeong’s speed at learning how to earn money was truly extraordinary.
Still, since Geum-ryeong was the one who discovered the hot spring, I naturally had to reward him.
– How about one silver coin per month?
– …
That wasn’t enough, apparently.
– How about one gold coin per month then?
– Squawk!
Thus I concluded negotiations with Geum-ryeong.
“My lord. We’re approaching the Cheongseong Sect now.”
“I see.”
We were currently heading toward the Cheongseong Sect.
An Ami Sect disciple who had been sent to support the Cheongseong Sect came to find me and requested assistance.

“The situation is more serious than expected. We need more relief supplies than what you provided before. And the Sect Leader says he needs the help of the Seonhyeop Mirang Great Swordmaster.”

Observing the expression of the Ami Sect Disciple who had sought me out, the situation appeared far more dire than I had anticipated.
Indeed, what one hears in mere words often differs vastly from reality.
Thus, having obtained the Provincial Governor’s permission, I set forth toward the Cheongseong Sect alongside Seongbo Wang.
“Welcome, honored patrons.”
A disciple of the Cheongseong Sect greeted us.
“Thank you for your hospitality. This is Seongbo Wang, Your Highness.”
“Ah! A disciple of Cheongseong pays respects to Your Highness Seongbo Wang.”
“Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
Seongbo Wang spoke with gentle warmth.
“I am aware of Cheongseong’s current plight. Therefore, concern yourselves not with how you treat us. It would be improper to receive hospitality when we have come to offer aid.”
“Your words humble us deeply.”
“Let us proceed inside.”
Thus we ventured deeper into the Cheongseong Sect, and there I witnessed the devastation that lay before us.
And from somewhere distant within, I sensed the presence of someone watching me intently.
So you were here after all.

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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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