The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 696

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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 696

Chapter 696. The Ice Palace Wedding (1)

We set our course toward the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Though it was called the Northern Sea Branch, there was considerable distance between it and the Northern Sea Ice Palace itself.
As we traveled onward.
“Waaaaaah!”
From somewhere, the cry of a child reached our ears.
“Isn’t that the sound of a child crying?”
“Could there be another Agok Sungjo here?”
As the saying goes, one startles at the sight of a melon after being frightened by a snake, and jumps at the sight of a pot lid after being startled by a gourd.
Having suffered considerably because of the Agok Sungjo before, our vigilance was immediately aroused.
“Let us investigate.”
“Yes.”
I was about to tell Seo Hyang to wait here with the other guards for a moment.
But she spoke first.
“I would like to go with you.”
When she spoke thus, there was usually good reason for it.
And even if she found herself in danger, I could handle an Agok Sungjo and rescue her, so I nodded in agreement.
“Very well.”
Thus we made our way toward the source of that crying sound.
“Waaaaaah! Waaaaaah!”
The cry came again.
And soon we all found ourselves forced to stop in our tracks.
“Good heavens!”
“Is this an illusion, or is it real?”
I nodded.
“It appears real.”
Seo Hyang also nodded, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Before us stood three people clad in thick garments, huddled together in each other’s embrace.
Upon them lay a thick blanket of snow.
Jin Yu Warrior and Yeo Eung-am Warrior approached them and brushed away the snow to examine them, then shook their heads.
“They are not what we seek.”
“They have all already ceased breathing.”
“Waaaaaah!”
The cry sounded once more.
“It seems there is a child here somewhere.”
Typically, when children cry, they don’t stop—they continue weeping. But if a child cries intermittently like this, it signals that something is gravely wrong with their condition.
The Yeo Eung-am Warrior pointed to one spot with a troubled expression.
“Here—it appears there is a child nestled within this woman’s embrace.”
She had positioned the infant there to transfer as much of her body heat as possible.
Though the woman was dead, the warriors seemed reluctant to expose her bare skin beneath her garments.
At this, Seo Hyang stepped forward.
“I shall retrieve the child.”
The other warriors withdrew, and Seo Hyang carefully searched the woman’s embrace and extracted the infant.
Ah, so that is why she insisted on coming along.
The child appeared to be roughly two years old—a girl.
Yet her face had turned a deathly pallor, and her fingers and toes were already beginning to necrotize from frostbite.
“Oh, no…”
Seo Hyang sat down and cradled the child in her arms.
At that moment, Geumryeong slipped free from my sleeve.
“Squeak?”
The spirit creature approached the girl and began licking her fingers and toes. Slowly, the necrotic tissue on the child’s extremities began to recover.
But this place is far too cold.
Then Palgap spoke.
“Young Master, if you place this around the child for a time, it should suffice.”
What Palgap referred to was the Hwaseok Jade Pendant I had received from the Emperor long ago.
Whenever Palgap travels to the Northern Sea, he always wears that pendant.
Thus he can traverse the frozen lands as comfortably as I or any of the Guard Warriors, unbothered by the bitter cold.
“Will you be all right without it?”
“Hah! This much is nothing to me. I journeyed to the Northern Sea Ice Palace before without it.”
That much is true.
By now, Palgap’s martial prowess has grown considerably.
“Isn’t saving the child our priority right now?”
“Thank you.”
Palgap placed the Hwaseok Jade Pendant around the child’s neck, resolving her temperature crisis.
Yet another problem remained.
“The child must have gone without food for a long time. We should feed her something.”
“Then, since darkness is already falling, let us make camp here for the night.”
We began preparing to rest.
First, I retrieved the firewood I had stored in the Secret Vault. Procuring firewood in the Northern Sea is no simple task.
Palgap kindled the fire and suspended a cauldron above it.
Crack, crackle, pop.
The wood blazed vigorously, and Palgap filled the hanging pot with snow and rice flour, bringing it to a boil.
Tonight, I prepared rice gruel for the child.
Palgap poured the gruel into a bowl, and Seo Hyang blew gently upon it as she fed the child small spoonfuls.
Munch, munch.
Fortunately, the child’s lips moved as she swallowed.
She was alive!
Only then did we all breathe a sigh of relief.
Seo-woo Warrior rose from his seat and spoke.
“We must dispose of the bodies first.”
If we left them as they were, it would only be a matter of time before the blood-maddened Spirit Creatures consumed them.
We first laid firewood separately nearby.
And we gathered whatever could identify their status.
Now that I think about it, I’m reminded of those we discovered before—those who froze to death while traveling to enter the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Yeo Eung-am Warrior seemed to have found something.
“There’s an identification tablet here!”
I took the tablet and examined it.
It was engraved with the name Myeongong Kangmun Sect Master Kang Hu.
Seeing this, Seo-woo Warrior spoke.
“I’ve heard of Myeongong Kangmun. It’s a sect from Shanxi Province that was destroyed after losing a power struggle against the Black Path.”
“Then they must have fled from there and made their way here.”
Usually, those who flee to this place do so seeking the Spirit Elixir said to exist in the Northern Sea.
These people likely hoped to grow stronger through that elixir, seek revenge, and rebuild their sect.
From the composition of the group—two men and one woman, plus a child—
It seemed the young Sect Master and his wife, their child, and a Guard Warrior.
But the dreams of revenge and sect restoration they harbored ended like this.
Leaving behind only a young daughter.
As martial artists themselves, they must have felt confident enough to attempt the journey north, but that choice brought them misfortune.
The Northern Sea was far more merciless and harsh than they could have imagined.
Still, we did save the daughter—should I call that fortunate?
We gathered their belongings and placed their bodies upon the firewood. Then we poured oil and set it ablaze.
“Waaaaaah!”
The child began to cry, instinctively sensing the moment of separation from her family.
Seo Hyang gently patted the child and spoke.
“Yes, I understand your heart. But you’ve regained your strength with such difficulty—we can’t waste it here. Even if it hurts today, you must endure. Your parents gave you this life.”
Watching this, my mouth turned bitter despite myself.
I too could have ended up in their place with just one misstep.
So I must proceed carefully, one step at a time, however slowly.

Daylight broke, and we resumed our journey toward the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Palgap would carry the child.
“Isn’t it difficult for you?”
“Not at all. Besides, the child’s Hua Clan Wall pendant around its neck keeps me warm.”
The child clung snugly to Palgap’s chest, seeming perfectly at ease.
As we traveled, a familiar building came into view.
“The Ice Palace Inn.”
“Indeed. It’s almost comforting to see it now.”
Reaching the Ice Palace Inn meant we were practically at the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Upon our arrival, the Twin Brothers who served as attendants there emerged to greet us.
“Welcome.”
“We meet again.”
“Please come inside. This place is—”
“The safest location in the Northern Sea.”
Their synchronization was remarkable—they finished each other’s sentences with such perfect timing that it never ceased to amaze me.
“It is good to see you. Is the Northern Sea Ice Palace treating you well?”
One of the Twin Brothers answered my question.
“It appears to be so.”
“That is fortunate.”
They bowed to Seo Hyang beside me with considerably more deference than they had shown me.
“We greet the Divine Maiden.”
“Please, come inside.”
….
As we entered, the Palace Disciples within the inn turned their attention toward us.
They had begun to greet me when they caught sight of Seo Hyang, and immediately prostrated themselves before her.
“We greet the Divine Maiden.”
Seo Hyang possessed the Bing Jeong An, and thus was called the Divine Maiden within the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
In essence, she held a position just below the Palace Master himself.
Yet Seo Hyang spoke with embarrassment.
“I appreciate your respect, but it makes me far too uncomfortable. Please, treat me more naturally.”
“We cannot do that.”
“Then at the very least, stop prostrating yourselves each time you see me. If you spend your time showing me such courtesy, you will neglect your duties, and that would bring dishonor to the Northern Sea Ice Palace—would it not?”
The Palace Disciples nodded at Seo Hyang’s words.
“Understood.”
“We shall do as you say.”
I spoke to them.
“We have come to meet with the Palace Master. Please send word to the Ice Palace and show us to our quarters.”
“Understood.”
“And, is there perhaps someone who could care for the child?”
“Pardon?”
“A child?”
I pointed to the Infant Girl cradled in Palgap’s arms and explained the circumstances from beginning to end.
At this, the disciples smiled bitterly and spoke.
“A child of a Dream Seeker, then.”
Dream Seeker—those who chase after dreams in pursuit of fortune.
“It is not uncommon for those who venture here to discover spiritual treasures and attain extraordinary martial prowess. This is precisely why the Dream Seekers never cease their pilgrimage to this place.”
The disciple who spoke thus took the child from Palgap’s arms.
“Would it be possible for our Ice Palace to take this child into our care?”
“I have no objection, but what is your reason?”
“Yes.”
She nodded her head.
“It is our custom that any female child discovered in these Northern Seas shall be raised by us and admitted as a disciple of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. This serves to ensure that no life lost in these Northern Seas is wasted in vain.”
“I see.”
“Moreover, should the child grow up in these Northern Seas from infancy, she will possess greater advantage.”
Though we discovered this child, in truth it was the Northern Seas themselves that preserved her life.
Therefore, her destiny must be entrusted to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“We would be most grateful should you permit this. I humbly ask for your care of her.”
“What is the child’s name?”
“We do not know her name. We did recover personal effects from those presumed to be her parents, but among them was nothing that indicated the child’s name.”
“Then please bestow a name upon her.”
“I should name her?”
“Yes. It is our custom that when a surviving child of a Dream Seeker is discovered, the name is given by the one who first found her.”
If that is the case, I must provide a name, but…
– Squeak?
Are you asking if it’s alright?
Geum-ryeong, you need not say it—I am well aware that I possess no talent for naming.
Then there is no help for it.
“Gwak Vice-Manager.”
“Yes.”
“Would you please bestow a name upon this child? Should I give her an odd name, I fear I might bear her resentment for a lifetime.”
At my words, Palgap nodded his head.
Palgap, what is the meaning of that nod?
Seo Hyang smiled and spoke.
“I understand. It is only natural for a wife to ease her husband’s burden.”
“Thank you.”
At that moment, the eyes of the disciple who heard our words widened.
“What? Could it be that you two are married?”
“To be precise, we are betrothed. We have decided to marry this autumn and have come here to inform the Palace Master of this.”
“I see.”
“Congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you.”
“Though I must confess, it feels rather strange. In all of the Ice Palace’s history, we have never had a Divine Maiden take a husband….”
I let out a soft chuckle.
“Just because there is no precedent does not mean there cannot be one hereafter. So simply adapt to it.”
“Yes, that would be wise.”
“Then, returning to our earlier discussion—what name would you like to give the child?”
Seo Hyang pondered for a moment before speaking.
“How about Yi-jin? The character for ear (珥) combined with the character for truth (眞). The character for ear also carries meanings of brilliance and preciousness, so together it means truly brilliant and precious.”
“Yi-jin. A beautiful name.”
Seo Hyang’s gift for naming was far superior to my own.
The Northern Sea Ice Palace Disciple spoke.
“A wonderful name indeed. Then this child shall be called Yi-jin.”
I wished to bestow upon her the surname Kang, her father’s family name, but once she became a disciple of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, she would receive a surname according to the Palace’s customs, so it would hold little significance.

The next day.
Someone I was delighted to see came to greet us from the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“It has been quite some time.”
“Ah, Young Palace Master.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, spoke.
“Now that we are both Young Palace Masters, please dispense with the honorific.”
“Very well, then.”
The Young Palace Master turned from me to regard Gwak Vice-Manager with proper courtesy.
“I pay my respects to the Divine Maiden.”
“How wonderful to see you.”
“Then let us depart. The Palace Master awaits.”
I left Palgap and the Guard Warriors at the Ice Palace Inn, then proceeded with Seo Hyang through the Gate of Mist toward the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“How have you been faring?”
At my question, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, nodded.
“I have been well.”
Yet her expression grew slightly troubled.
“However, it seems several Agok Sungjo have descended from the lower regions, and I have been troubled over how to dispose of them.”
Agok Sungjo?
“Ah… those creatures?”
I laughed somewhat sheepishly.
“I captured them all on the way here.”
“You did?”
“Five of them in total.”
She stopped in her tracks and blinked at me.
“How did you manage to capture them? They are quite troublesome spirit creatures.”
“Well… somehow or other, they were captured.”
I gave a vague answer rather than explain in detail.
Fortunately, she accepted my words without question.
“Indeed, with the martial techniques of Seolpung Palace, it would not have been so difficult.”

Soon we arrived at the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
The palace constructed of ice never ceased to appear mystical, no matter how many times I beheld it.
Upon our arrival at the Ice Palace, we were immediately guided to the Palace Master’s quarters.
“The Lesser Palace Mistress of Seolpung Palace pays her respects to the master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“Young lady, I pay my respects to the master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
To our greeting, the Palace Master lay languidly, removing the long pipe from her lips as she spoke.
“How delightful. So what brings you here?”
“I came to inform you of something, Palace Master. Gwak Vice-Manager and I are to be married.”
“I see. Well, I had anticipated as much.”
She nodded slowly as she spoke.
“I would have been quite displeased had you not informed me.”
I laughed composedly while inwardly releasing a sigh of relief.
Just as Master had said, she would have been upset if I hadn’t informed her.
Phew, cold sweat is breaking out.

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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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