The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 67

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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 67

Chapter 67. Fishing for Talent (2)

I searched my memory, and soon realized what that fragrance was.
There had been an incident where Luzu of Yeonhwa House had attempted to deliberately set fire to the Jae-gyeong Pavilion with the help of the Doun Trading Company.
When I visited Yeonhwa House at that time, I found it strange that despite their poor finances, they were actually constructing a pavilion.
So when I went to investigate the building, I encountered a suspicious Masked Intruder there.
It was the fragrance that had emanated from that Masked Intruder who fled.
Upon realizing this, I frantically scanned my surroundings.
Where?
Who among those around me carries this fragrance?
Honestly, even if I found that person, all I would likely gain is information about the Murim Alliance’s movements.
Or perhaps I would discover the identity of some hidden collaborator of the Murim Alliance.
But why did I feel such an intense compulsion to find that Masked Intruder?
I rushed toward where the fragrance seemed to emanate from.
But the scent vanished almost immediately.
It happened in an instant, and I stood staring into empty air with a bewildered expression.
What had just occurred felt like a dream.
“Seo-ho, what’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
My Elder Brother called out to me with a worried expression.
“Young Master, are you all right? Why did you suddenly—?”
“Seo-ho.”
I shook my head.
The burning desire to find the source of that fragrance had vanished in an instant.
It was as though cold water had been poured over me.
I exhaled slowly.
“It’s nothing.”
“You look exhausted. Let’s retire for the evening.”
“That would be best.”
I nodded at my Elder Brother and Palgap’s words.
“I thought my travel fatigue had passed, but it seems it hasn’t.”
It was true—returning to Beijing just days after returning from Sichuan had been more taxing than I realized.
“Let’s purchase a gift for my sister-in-law another time.”
At my words, my Elder Brother’s face flushed red.
“S-sister-in-law…?”
“You’re already thinking of marriage, aren’t you? Then she’s your sister-in-law.”
“Hahaha.”
My Elder Brother did not deny it.
So he told me to propose to her as soon as we returned to the Trading Company.
We turned our steps toward Jin Merchant Master’s Residence. That was when a scene caught our attention.
“You wretched beggar!”
“I didn’t steal the dumplings.”
“Don’t lie to me! I saw it with my own eyes!”
“I was only trying to warn you that the other children were going to steal dumplings.”
“You’re in league with those bastards!”
It was a Shop Owner wielding a broom and a Beggar Boy being struck by it.
The Beggar Boy wore an expression of genuine grievance.
So Beijing has beggars too. It spoke to how many people struggled to survive here.
Fearing he might actually harm the child, I approached the Shop Owner.
“Please stop hitting him.”
“Who are you?”
“Just someone passing through.”
“If you’re passing through, then mind your own business….”
The Shop Owner’s curt words trailed off.
He had likely noticed that my clothes were made of fine silk.
No matter how much people say appearance doesn’t matter, people like this force you to care about it.
“Ahem, young master, you needn’t concern yourself. I’m simply trying to teach this beggar some manners.”
“What wrong has this child committed?”
“Well, this wretch stole five dumplings!”
“I heard there were other children involved as well?”
“While this one acted as lookout, those others must have stolen the dumplings!”
“How many of them were there?”
“Five of them. Each took one dumpling, and I remember it clearly.”
At that, I nodded and spoke.
“Five children, each taking one dumpling… then this child had none.”
“They would have shared them.”
“Children who ignore this one being beaten would share dumplings with him? Children for whom getting food into their own mouths is all that matters would share dumplings… doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
“That’s….”
That is human nature, not just a beggar’s.
When you’re starving to death, would you share dumplings with someone else?
Could you even perceive another person’s existence?
You’d only see the dumplings.
“Do those children steal dumplings often?”
“About once every ten days.”
“Then you must know their faces well. Have you seen this child before?”
“…This child only arrived here recently.”
“Have you ever seen this child with them?”
“….”
At that moment, one of the onlookers cried out.
“I saw that child being beaten by a different gang before.”
“So we helped him.”
Looking at the Young Boy’s face, I could see many old bruises.
So those came from that incident.
In any case, the onlookers’ words proved that the child was not part of their gang.
I looked at the Young Boy.
“You said you were trying to warn them that those kids were going to steal dumplings, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then why didn’t you steal the dumplings yourself?”
The Young Boy answered spiritedly.
“A gentleman does not steal, and a sage does not pilfer. No matter how impoverished one becomes, coveting ill-gotten wealth does not make one a true gentleman.”
I was slightly taken aback.
I had not expected such words to come from him.
“…How old are you?”
“I have turned thirteen this year.”
“I see.”
I looked at the Dumpling Shop Owner.
“This child seems different from the ones who stole the dumplings, does he not?”
“Ahem….”
I asked the Young Boy.
“Would you like an apology?”
At my question, the Young Boy shook his head.
“Though my intentions were good, I caused you loss. I believe I should apologize to you.”
He bowed respectfully.
“My apologies.”
“Ahem, ahem, no. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”
I handed coins to the owner.
“Please accept this.”
“This is… what?”
“An apology must come with financial compensation. This is that compensation.”
“Ah….”
The owner hesitated briefly, but then accepted the coins and placed them in his purse.
And I watched him do so.
Having settled the matter, I led the Young Boy away from the dumpling shop.
“Are you alright where you were hit?”
“It hurts, but this much is manageable. Thank you for helping me today.”
“Still, it would be best to visit a Physician.”
At my words, Eun Jung-ho also nodded in agreement.
“Even a small wound can become serious if left untreated.”
“I should wash up first, though.”
I nodded at Palgap’s words.
Though I was somewhat tired, this was a child I had rescued. I couldn’t allow him to develop an infection and perish from such neglect.
I took the Young Boy to a nearby inn.
I couldn’t bring a boy of uncertain identity directly to Jin Merchant Master’s Residence.
Palgap led the Young Boy to the inn’s bathhouse, cleaned him thoroughly, and brought him back out.
The Physician, who had just arrived, treated the Young Boy’s wounds.
However, there was a large sword wound across the Young Boy’s back.
It was remarkable that he had survived such a grievous injury.
“If you apply the medicine for about three days, there should be no cause for concern.”
“Thank you.”
After the Physician left, I spoke to the Young Boy.
“Let’s eat, then.”
Though it was late, I could tell the Young Boy hadn’t eaten dinner yet.
His stomach had been rumbling audibly the entire time.
Coming down to the first floor, I ordered food for the Young Boy. Given the late hour, only dumplings and noodles were available.
Still, the Young Boy ate with genuine relish.
The boy certainly had an appetite.
Then the Young Boy, looking at the dumplings, asked me a question.
“Earlier, when you gave money to the Dumpling Shop Owner—you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Hmm?”
“Weren’t you testing the owner by giving him that money?”
He was right.
But I hadn’t expected this boy to notice.
I found myself curious about how he had discerned it.
“What made you think that?”
“The situation had already been resolved when I apologized—the owner had already misunderstood and said he was sorry.”
“That’s true.”
“Yet you gave him money and called it compensation for my apology. To do so after the matter was already settled suggested you had some other purpose in mind.”
“Exactly right. Precise reasoning.”
I smiled and continued.
“By giving him that money, I was testing whether the Dumpling Shop Owner truly accepted your apology, or whether he was merely going through the motions out of propriety.”
“I see.”
“If he had refused the money, I would have taught you a way to avoid having dumplings stolen in the future.”
The Young Boy responded to my words.
“I already know that method.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
The Young Boy nodded.
“What method did you have in mind?”
“The radius where the dumplings are spread out is too wide. Even if we stack them in multiple layers, we need to narrow the spread radius. Just fixing that alone would reduce the number of stolen dumplings compared to now.”
My method was correct.
There were a few other approaches as well, but this was the main one.
“I cannot fathom why the Dumpling Shop Owner could not think of something so simple.”
At those words, I let out a soft chuckle.
“That’s precisely why he accepted the money I gave him.”
“That is true.”
As we spoke, I gradually realized this child was no ordinary person.
At merely thirteen years old, to speak with such insight meant that with proper training, he would become a valuable talent for the trading company.
“Tell me—can you read and write?”
“…Yes, I can.”
The young boy’s eyes gleamed with brilliance—the sharp gaze of a predator that had spotted an opportunity.
“I have studied the Four Books and Three Classics.”
The boy spoke eagerly.
“Confucius was wealthy, was he not? Then please hire me!”
“You want me to hire you?”
“Yes! I will do anything.”
When I heard he had studied the Four Books and Three Classics, doubt crept into my mind.
Books were expensive.
Moreover, having studied the Four Books and Three Classics was virtually equivalent to having had a master teacher.
For such a child to live as a beggar meant there was certainly some circumstance behind it.
But it would be difficult to learn that story here.
I led the boy, who had finished eating, back into the guest room.
“You asked me to hire you earlier, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“But how did you end up wandering alone?”
“That is…”
“I need to know your circumstances so I can hire you with peace of mind, don’t I?”
Tears streamed down the young boy’s face.
“The truth is, I was born into a Martial Family.”
I listened to the boy’s words in silence.
“Then one day, a group of people invaded, and I lost consciousness in the chaos. When I awoke, the house had already burned to ashes.”
“…”
“There were no surviving family members.”
“And you have lived this way ever since?”
“Yes. I wandered for two years before arriving here about six months ago.”
“You must have endured much hardship.”
When the Physician had treated the boy’s wounds earlier, I had noticed a sword scar running across his back and wondered about its origin. Now I finally understood how he had acquired it.
“But if you were born into a Martial Family, you should have learned at least some external martial arts. Why were you only being beaten by your peers?”
“I have not trained in martial arts. My constitution is not suited for it.”
I see.
As I pondered what to do with this young boy, Eun Jung-ho spoke to me.
“Do as your heart desires.”
“Hmm?”
“You clearly like this fellow. And he’s been wandering for three years now.”
“That’s true enough.”
“It seems you’re worried the Merchant Guild might suffer because of those pursuing him, but from what I can tell, no one believes he’s still alive anyway.”
“You’re right about that.”
I made my decision.
I would hire this child.
With this level of intelligence and learning, if trained properly, he would be a valuable asset to the Guild.
“By the way, I haven’t even asked your name yet. My name is Eun Seo-ho. What’s yours?”
“I cannot reveal my name.”
“I understand. Still, I’d like to know.”
“My name is Min Ji-ik. However, I created a new name for myself to hide my identity. I would appreciate it if you called me by this name from now on.”
“Understood. So what name did you create for yourself?”
“Seok Il-song.”
Wait, what?
Seok Il-song?
The Myriad Passage Demon Lord, Seok Il-song?
That person who was called the brilliant minister of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect in my previous life?
The Murim Alliance had once launched an assault on the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
It was a meticulously prepared attack, with supplies to the sect cut off in advance.
Everyone in the Central Plains had predicted the Murim Alliance’s victory.
But the outcome was different.
Not only did the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect repel the Murim Alliance’s assault, but they even went on to seize portions of Qinghai and Gansu beyond Xinjiang.
At the center of this was one administrator.
Based on his exceptional administrative abilities and foresight, he had anticipated the crisis situation and prepared thoroughly, minimizing losses from resource shortages.

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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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