The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 66

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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 Eunhae Trading Company – Chapter 66

Chapter 66. Catching Talent (1)

Dong Woo-yeok’s eyes opened on the makeshift bed arranged in the cave.
Haeng-su had brought wine, apologizing for souring his mood, suggesting he sleep well first and then reconsider his revenge afterward.
The wine was potent spirits—fiery liquor.
After drinking, he had collapsed into sleep, and now he was waking.
His throat felt parched.
“Ugh, I’m thirsty. Hey! Is anyone here? Bring water! Water!”
“….”
But no sound answered him.
Even the bird calls that occasionally echoed through the cave were absent, making the silence feel all the more eerie.
Realizing something was wrong, he bolted upright from the bed and rushed outside the cave.
What greeted him was utter chaos.
Everything of value had vanished.
He understood immediately.
His subordinates had abandoned him and fled.
The lingering intoxication evaporated in an instant.
“What, what is this? They’ve all run away? Is that it? What about me?”
Muttering in disbelief, he finally let out a wail.
“Curse it all!”
That was when it happened.
Thundering hoofbeats—!
The sound of numerous riders approaching, accompanied by the thunder of horses.
Dong Woo-yeok’s expression brightened suddenly.
He thought his abandoned subordinates had returned.
But those who appeared before him were the Golden Army and the Geumui Guard.
“There is the traitor Dong Woo-yeok! Seize him!”
“Yes, sir!”
Dong Woo-yeok stumbled backward.
“No, no! This is a dream! I haven’t woken from the dream yet!”
But denying reality proved futile.
Thus his obsessive fixation on misguided revenge crumbled to dust and vanished.

* * *

I stood upon the vast expanse and beheld countless residences scattered across the land.
I had arrived in Beijing.
First, I needed to proceed to Jin Woo-rim’s Residence.
The final matters would be settled there.
Shortly after, the carriage came to a halt before one of the grand estates.
“We have arrived.”
At the words of the Gold Robe Guard Warrior who had escorted us, we descended from the carriage.
Father then offered his gratitude to the warrior.
“We are grateful for your protection throughout this journey.”
“Not at all. I merely fulfilled the duty entrusted to me by His Imperial Majesty. Rather, it is I who should offer thanks.”
He continued, turning his gaze toward me.
“I nearly failed in that duty, but thanks to your ingenuity, I was able to complete it without incident. My gratitude to you, young master.”
“To receive thanks from such a great warrior! It is undeserved, yet I accept it with joy.”
I replied thus.
If I continued to deflect his gratitude, the exchange would only grow more prolonged.
I wished to enter and rest.
At that moment, a group emerged from within the residence, and I recognized a familiar face.
“Ah! Young Master Seo-ho! You have arrived?”
“I pay my respects to Jin Merchant Lord.”
“I have heard the tales. You suffered greatly at the hands of the remaining survivors of the Dong Merchant Guild?”
“It was nothing of consequence.”
“Nothing of consequence? The Explosive Thunder Mine nearly detonated within the carriage itself—how is that nothing?”
It was indeed Jin Woo-rim.
He knew everything.
“Fortunately, the Second Son was captured, but the problem lies with the others who fled….”
“Have they not yet been apprehended?”
“Not yet. However, the search continues, and they shall be captured soon enough.”
I spoke with a smile.
“I have a request to make of you, Merchant Lord.”
“What is it?”
“I ask that you cease the search.”
“Cease the search? For what reason?”
Jin Merchant Lord asked me with a puzzled expression.
“Was this truly their will? It was the will of the Second Son who led them, and so they acted accordingly.”
“That would be true.”
“They were merely instruments. Instruments bear no guilt. Moreover, they have families who depend upon them. Should innocent families suffer harm because of this, I could not bear the resentment that would follow.”
I continued.
“My resolve is weak, and should I hear that they came to harm, I fear I would fall gravely ill.”
“My! That simply will not do!”
“Therefore, I humbly request that you cease the search.”
At my words, Jin Merchant Lord paused in thought before nodding.
“I understand. I shall bring this matter before His Imperial Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
“Then let us retire now. You must be weary from your travels, and knowing when to allow one’s body proper rest is the secret to longevity in the merchant trade.”
“Understood.”
That was precisely what I desired.

Jin Woo-rim’s Residence was remarkably vast.
Without a guide, one could easily lose their way within its sprawling corridors.
Jin Merchant Lord returned to his office to attend to matters, while we were guided by his Deputy Officer.
“It truly is expansive.”
“This residence was recently bestowed upon us by His Imperial Majesty. The main quarters house the Merchant Lord and his company, while that section over there is where those managing the salt trade conduct their business.”
“I see.”
“The grounds are so extensive that many visitors frequently lose their way. Should you venture outside, it would be wise to request one of the servants to guide you.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, there is a back garden beyond that point. It features a pond, unusual rock formations, and abundant flowers—you should certainly visit when time permits.”
We arrived at our quarters while the Deputy Officer provided various explanations along the way.
A plaque bearing the characters “Guest Hall” hung above the entrance to our quarters.
It signified a place where distinguished guests resided.
The building’s name was refreshingly direct.
We were assigned an entire separate pavilion. It appeared to contain more than ten rooms.
“This is where you shall reside.”
The Deputy Officer looked toward me.
“And I wish to express my personal gratitude for rescuing Jin Merchant Lord. In truth, he is like a father to me. Had something terrible befallen him, I would have….”
I met his gaze.
Sincerity burned in those eyes.
“That I could aid Jin Merchant Lord suggests that Heaven itself favors him.”
The Deputy Officer continued from my words.
“Yes, truly a man whom Heaven cherishes.”
.
.
.
That evening, we dined in the banquet hall, where representatives from other merchant guilds who had already arrived were also invited.
The banquet hall, when viewed from above, resembled two large rectangles of different sizes overlapping one another.
The outer section was where those brought by the merchant guilds were seated.
And on the elevated tier in the center sat the Merchant Lords and other dignitaries of importance.
“The structure is quite unusual.”
At Eun Jung-ho’s remark, the servant guiding us responded.
“Some of those present serve as guards, and there are times when a Deputy Officer may be needed for consultations, so the structure was designed with such considerations in mind.”
In truth, I was already familiar with such an arrangement.
At some point, they had begun constructing the banquet hall with this very layout.
So this was where it all started.
Yun Chung-jin Deputy Commander and the others who had followed us took their seats in appropriate spots around the periphery.
Father, Eun Jung-ho, and I settled into the places prepared at the center.
Name plaques were laid out before us.
As we approached, those seated rose to their feet. When they saw me, they smiled warmly.
These were people I knew—members of the Geumjin Merchant Guild.
Ah, so he is the current Merchant Guild Leader.
Seeing the elderly current Merchant Guild Leader, I was struck anew by the reality that I had truly returned to the past.
They were good people, the sort whom Jin Woo-rim had appointed as salt retailers.
Since Father was younger in age, he offered his greetings first.
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Eun Gil-sang, operating the Eunhae Trading Company in Hubei Province.”
“I am In Jun, operating the Geumjin Merchant Guild in Hebei Province.”
Once the two Merchant Guild Leaders had finished their greetings, it was our turn to introduce ourselves.
The one who had come with In Jun was his eldest son, In Gwang.
He and I had engaged in friendly competition.
Until the day I died, he was a man respected in Hebei Province—one who never jested carelessly and upheld righteousness.
“I am Eun Jung-ho, eldest son and Deputy Leader of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“I am Eun Seo-ho, third son and Deputy Leader of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
At my introduction, In Jun tilted his head in puzzlement.
“If Young Master Eun Seo-ho is the third son, that means there is another son in between?”
Such a question was only natural.
Father answered for me.
“That is correct. There is a second son as well, but he remains at the company headquarters.”
“Then how old is Young Master Eun Seo-ho currently?”
“Fifteen.”
At my answer, In Jun’s expression shifted to one of surprise, and Father continued with an explanation.
“Normally, Seo-ho would only become Deputy Leader upon reaching twenty years of age, but given his exceptional abilities, all the managers under his authority consented to his appointment as Deputy Leader.”
“Ah! Is that so!”
At Father’s words, the way In Jun and In Gwang looked at me changed noticeably.
Hmm, this is a bit burdensome.
Just then, other merchant guild members entered, and I exchanged greetings with them as well.
By today, a total of eleven merchant guilds had arrived.
Since twenty-three merchant guilds had been invited in total, roughly half had now arrived.
One merchant guild had been appointed as the salt retailer for each province, one guild handled Xinjiang and Tibet, and one handled the territories from Liaoning to Heilongjiang, making twenty-three guilds in total.
Beijing was to be handled directly by the Yeompyeong Merchant Guild.
After we had eaten and drunk for a while, people began leaving their seats one by one.
This made sense, as the real discussions would take place not in a place like this, but in each person’s quarters.
Jin Merchant Lord understood this as well, which is why he had merely eaten before departing.
In other words, the purpose was simply to become acquainted with one another, since we would be working together as salt retailers going forward.
I rose from my seat as well.
Now that I was in Beijing, I thought I’d visit the marketplace streets of the city.
Since I’d collapsed onto my bed and slept deeply the moment we arrived, I’d recovered from most of my fatigue.
“Father, I’ll go out to the marketplace for a while and return shortly.”
At my words, Father nodded in approval.
“Very well. Why don’t you take Eun Jung-ho along with you?”
My elder brother then asked.
“Can I come with you too?”
“Of course.”
And so I ventured out into Beijing’s marketplace with Eun Jung-ho.
The marketplace streets of Beijing were magnificent.
At the splendor of it all, Eun Jung-ho’s eyes grew wide with wonder, and seeing him like that, I let out a soft chuckle.
“Brother, don’t look so much like a country bumpkin. Try to blend in.”
“But it’s far more magnificent than I expected.”
Well, it made sense—this was his first time in Beijing. I’d felt the same way once.
“Yet you seem perfectly at ease.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you look quite familiar with the place.”
At those words, I laughed somewhat sheepishly.
In my previous life, I’d come here at least once a month to manage the local branch.
So naturally, it felt familiar.
Moreover, Beijing’s night streets could be described as refined rather than merely splendid.
With the Forbidden City where the Emperor resided and numerous high officials staying here, an air of sophistication permeated everything.
The truly flamboyant place was Luoyang.
Luoyang’s night streets were incomparably more raucous compared to Beijing.
Now that I thought about it, the Murim Alliance was located in Luoyang.
This place was already adorned with red lanterns in anticipation of the approaching Qixi Festival.
The Qixi Festival, when the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd meet.
Seeing that, I thought of the young lady my brother had on his mind.
“By the way, brother.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you have a betrothed?”
“…A betrothed?”
“I mean a woman you care for. It seems like you might.”
At my question, Eun Jung-ho’s face suddenly flushed red. Seeing that, I chuckled softly.
“Who is she?”
“Well…”
I pressed the hesitant brother further.
“Could it be the Eldest Daughter of Jin’s Martial Hall that you have your eye on?”
“Gasp!”
My Elder Brother was startled by my words.
“What? How did you know? Was it that obvious?”
“No.”
“Then how did you figure it out?”
“I have good instincts.”
That’s what I said, but in my previous life, my Elder Brother married the Eldest Daughter of Jin’s Martial Hall.
So he had feelings for her even back then.
If that’s the case, why didn’t he just propose quickly instead of dragging it out and making his future wife suffer through a delayed marriage?
If he’d married earlier, she wouldn’t have had to endure so much hardship.
“Since we’re already in Beijing, why not buy her a gift? You need to show her you care with something tangible.”
“Really? Can I do that?”
“You said you admired her, didn’t you? Then you should be bold about it.”
I glanced back at Jeon Woo-jin, who was walking behind my Elder Brother.
“Don’t you think so?”
“I agree with you, sir.”
Jeon Woo-jin had been wounded in the attack during my Elder Brother’s announcement as Small Merchant Guild Leader, but he had fully recovered by now.
That’s why he could accompany my Elder Brother on this trip.
Watching him steadily support my Elder Brother filled me with satisfaction.
Now I wouldn’t have to listen to my Elder Brother’s complaints anymore.
“There’s a shop selling women’s accessories. Let’s go.”
“Huh? Yes, yes.”
I grabbed my Elder Brother’s arm and pulled him along. It was as we headed toward that accessory shop.
Huh?
That’s when a fragrance brushed past my nose.
It was definitely a scent I’d encountered somewhere before.
Like the fragrance of orchids….

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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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