The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 697

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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 697

Chapter 697. The Ice Palace Wedding (2)

I smiled and continued speaking.
“Please don’t say such things. How could I not inform the Palace Master of such an important matter?”
– Squeak?
Geumryeong, be quiet.
The Palace Master nodded with a satisfied expression.
“In any case, I offer my congratulations on the marriage of you two.”
“Thank you.”
We both expressed our gratitude to her.
“It’s been quite some time since a Divine Maiden possessing the Bing Jeong An has married, but since you are not a disciple of this Northern Sea Ice Palace, it matters not.”
The Palace Master continued speaking.
“By the way, do you know what an Ice Palace wedding is?”
“I’m hearing of it for the first time.”
An Ice Palace wedding? The words seemed utterly mismatched.
The disciples of the Northern Sea Ice Palace officially did not recognize marriage.
“It is an event signifying the long-standing friendship between the Ice Palace and the Seolpung Palace, wherein the wedding of the Seolpung Palace Master and the Lesser Palace Mistress is held here at the Ice Palace.”
“I have never heard of such a thing.”
“You wouldn’t have. If my memory serves, the last Ice Palace wedding was that of the late Previous Seolpung Palace Master.”
“….”
Ah… before my Master married, calamity befell the Seolpung Palace, so that must have been the last one.
“Since the bond between the Ice Palace and Seolpung Palace has been renewed in this way, I see no harm in holding an Ice Palace wedding. What do you think?”
Before I could offer any opinion, there was something I needed to ask.
“I would like to understand precisely what an Ice Palace wedding entails.”
“It’s nothing so grand—merely one of the rare festivals of this Ice Palace. We use the wedding of the Seolpung Palace Master and Lesser Palace Mistress as the occasion.”
“….”
“As the Lesser Palace Mistress knows well, the discipline and rules of this Ice Palace are quite stringent and severe. This is also a way to allow them some breathing room, however briefly.”
“Then only the Ice Palace benefits, does it not?”
The Bing Palace Master replied to my question.
“It may seem that way. However, those of the Ice Palace, great and small, present gifts to the couple being married.”
Gifts?
“Moreover, from the moment the wedding takes place here at the Ice Palace, this palace formally recognizes the marriage.”
I looked toward Seo Hyang.
This was not a decision I could make alone.
“What do you think?”
“I will follow the Small Guild Master’s wishes.”
I paused to consider, then nodded.
“Understood. I shall proceed accordingly.”
“A wise decision.”
The Bing Palace Master pulled the bell cord, and Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, entered.
“You called for me?”
“I’ve informed her that you and the Divine Maiden have agreed to marry.”
“Marriage, you say?”
“Indeed.”
At her words, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, offered us her formal congratulations.
“Thank you for the honor.”
“Thank you.”
The Palace Master nodded and spoke.
“Then we must prepare for the Ice Palace wedding. Consult with the other disciples and make the arrangements. You can seek the Elders’ cooperation.”
“Yes. I shall begin preparations at once.”
“Very well.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, departed from the Palace Master’s Quarters.
“Now go rest yourself.”
“Before I do, there is something I must tell you.”
“What is it?”
“In truth, I encountered bandits in Liaoning on my way here.”
I explained the details to her.
“…and so I provided them with farmland and had them begin cultivating it.”
“Such a thing occurred?”
The Palace Master tilted her head and asked.
“I understand your reasoning, but from the perspective of the Gwangjun Merchant Group and the Pyo Bureau—whose warriors lost their lives to these bandits—this decision must have been difficult to accept?”
“That is correct. I sought their understanding, and they graciously accepted it from a higher perspective.”
I had avenged those who attacked us by eliminating the bandits, rescued those taken hostage, and recovered the stolen goods.
That certainly influenced their decision.
Most of those I brought with me were the elderly, women, and children.
Left to their own devices, they would surely face massacre or enslavement—as clear as fire.
“I spent considerable funds providing them with farmland. If other bandits attack that settlement, wouldn’t that be problematic?”
“True enough. So what is it you desire?”
She let out a soft laugh.
“The fact that you bring this to me suggests you want something?”
“Yes. If the agricultural products from that land could supply the Ice Palace’s provisions, it would be ideal. Was the food shortage the Ice Palace faced not due to the lack of a direct supply source?”
Thus the Ice Palace nearly starved when a purchasing merchant, bribed by someone, switched the silver prepared for buying grain with counterfeit coins.
“I believe we cannot guarantee such incidents won’t happen again. Therefore, securing a direct source of agricultural products like this would be far safer, would it not?”
“That much is true. However…”
The Palace Master continued.
“We have not failed to consider establishing tenant farms for the Ice Palace in Liaoning. But as you know, if the Murim Alliance uses this as a pretext to cause trouble, it becomes bothersome, so we’ve had no choice but to refrain from such methods.”
I shook my head at her words.
“Palace Master, I never said I was transferring ownership of that land to the Ice Palace. I merely proposed a regular food trade arrangement with the Ice Palace.”
“If that’s the case, then officially it remains your land, but the bandits will perceive it as farmland belonging to the Ice Palace.”
“Precisely. And I’m not asking you to station permanent forces there either. An occasional visit to inspect things would suffice.”
“In other words, you’re borrowing the Ice Palace’s influence.”
She had grasped the crux of the matter perfectly.
I continued with a smile.
“Borrowing influence sounds so ungracious. You’re simply securing a reliable food supply source with minimal effort. In return, I’ll provide agricultural products at seventy percent of what the Ice Palace currently pays elsewhere.”
The Palace Master removed her long pipe from her lips and spoke.
“So it’s not free.”
“Nothing in this world is free. I’ve invested considerable resources in acquiring that farmland myself.”
At my words, the Palace Master paused briefly before nodding.
“Not a bad proposal.”
I would benefit by protecting my land and the workers cultivating it, while the Northern Sea Ice Palace would gain stable food supplies at favorable prices.
And with the Northern Sea Ice Palace disciples frequenting the area, the security of the surrounding region would naturally improve.
The bandits of Liaoning never dared touch the disciples of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
From what I understood, the Northern Sea Ice Palace tracked down anyone who crossed them and executed them without mercy.
But precisely because they didn’t simply kill them outright, they became all the more terrifying.
Observing this, I learned a valuable lesson myself.
When you punish someone, you must do it thoroughly.
“I accept your proposal.”
“Thank you.”
Thus, the plan I had envisioned proceeded smoothly.

Seo Hyang and I were led to our quarters.
However, we were given only one chamber.
“Only one chamber?”
The Disciple Attendant who had guided us answered my question.
“Yes. Since you are to be married, the Palace Master ordered that a single chamber be specially prepared for you both.”
“….”
“The Palace Master said that if the Young Palace Master asks about this, I should inquire whether there might be any issues between you two.”
“Issues? There are none.”
“Then all is well. Should you need anything, please pull the bell cord.”
With that, the Disciple Attendant departed, and I exhaled deeply.
Whether this was meant to tease us or show consideration, it certainly felt more like the former.
I spoke to Seo Hyang.
“Please use the bed, my lady.”
“What are you saying?”
She widened her eyes in protest.
“You would sleep on this cold stone floor?”
The floor of the Ice Palace was smooth, but being an ice palace, it was bitterly cold.
“I cannot accept that. Besides, we have already shared a bed before, so there is no need for such formality.”
Well, that was true enough.
“If you refuse my words, I may tell Palgap about this.”
That would be troublesome.
Palgap was unyielding when it came to matters of propriety. He would lecture me endlessly.
“Very well. Then we shall share the bed.”

After we washed and ate dinner, I sought out a few people separately.
Eun Jin-ho’s Mother-in-law and Grandmother-in-law were staying here at the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
And while I was reading a book, Seo Hyang called out to me.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Oh! Has it gotten so late already?”
“Yes. You should rest now. Come to bed.”
I nodded and headed toward the chamber.
“Today you didn’t create a boundary down the middle with extra blankets.”
“Even without a boundary, you wouldn’t cross over anyway, so I wondered if it was really necessary. Should I make one?”
“No, please don’t.”
I shook my head and lay down on the chamber bed.
Fortunately, the bed was wider than I expected.
Seo Hyang also lay down on my left side, and after confirming this, I spoke.
“I’ll extinguish the light.”
“Very well.”
I waved my hand and used my inner energy to blow out the candles.
Whoosh—!
Darkness enveloped everything.
Though the bed was spacious, as we lay beneath the same blanket, my face flushed without my realizing it.
Not wanting Seo Hyang to notice, I quietly pulled the blanket up to cover my face.
Then I heard Geumryeong’s telepathic voice.
– Squeak? Squeak?
It’s dark—what are you doing?
Ah….

* * *

At that moment.
In a conference room of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
Bing Hae-rin and the Elders of the Northern Sea Ice Palace were gathered there.
The wooden table was covered with documents concerning the Ice Palace wedding.
“I remember the Ice Palace wedding at that time was quite magnificent.”
“Indeed it was.”
The Elders, having spent so many years in this Northern Sea Ice Palace, retained vivid memories of those events.
“To be honest, I thought there would never be another Ice Palace wedding, yet here we are, witnessing one unfold once more!”
“It truly is moving.”
“And what’s more, the groom is none other than Eun Seo-ho, the Lesser Palace Mistress?”
“He is our benefactor. Without him, we would all have starved to death.”
They had not forgotten how he resolved the incident with the contract switch and saved the Ice Palace by sending large quantities of provisions.
“Therefore, I believe we cannot prepare this Ice Palace wedding carelessly.”
At their words, Bing Hae-rin nodded in agreement.
“I share that sentiment. Beyond that matter alone, Eun Seo-ho has bestowed both great and small kindnesses upon the Main Palace.”
She surveyed the Elders gathered in the conference room as she spoke.
“Therefore, this Ice Palace wedding must be prepared with even greater grandeur and splendor.”
“We shall do our utmost.”
“Then let us discuss how we shall prepare this Ice Palace wedding.”
“Yes.”
Thus they engaged in spirited deliberation.
They assessed the available budget and discussed the most effective methods.
Finally, they synthesized all these considerations into a comprehensive plan for the Ice Palace wedding proceedings.
“I shall present this to the Palace Master.”
Bing Hae-rin took the document and made her way to the Palace Master’s Quarters.
Though the hour was already late, she knew well that the Palace Master would be awake.
A side effect of practicing the martial arts taught in the Ice Palace—the stronger one’s cultivation became, the more pronounced this effect—was insomnia.
“Palace Master, it is I, Bing Hae-rin.”
“Enter.”
The door opened, and she stepped inside.
“This is the plan for the Ice Palace wedding proceedings. I request your review.”
The Palace Master received the document and read through it.
“The lanterns illuminating the bridal chamber here seem excessive. There may be insufficient air, and the atmosphere could be overwhelming—reduce them by half.”
“Yes.”
“I have nothing else to say. Proceed as planned.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Palace Master returned the document and asked.
“Are you not envious?”
“Pardon?”
“The wedding of Eun Seo-ho and the Divine Maiden. Do you feel no envy witnessing it?”
“I’m not envious.”
“The disciples of this Ice Palace cannot marry. That’s why I sometimes feel sorry for bringing you here.”
“Please don’t think such things.”
Bing Hae-rin continued speaking.
“I am grateful that you brought me to this Ice Palace. If not for this place, I could never have dreamed of avenging the Seolpung Palace family.”
“….”
The Palace Master, who had been watching her in silence for a moment, changed the subject.
“You haven’t been venturing beyond the Northern Sea lately.”
“I was planning to go out soon. Then I shall take my leave.”
Bing Hae-rin left the Palace Master’s Quarters, and the Palace Master watched her departing figure while holding a long pipe.
The Palace Master still remembered.
The child found among the ruins of Seolpung Palace had a gag in her mouth.
It seemed deliberately placed to prevent her from making any sound, and thanks to that, she was able to survive.
When brought to the Ice Palace Inn, she wept most bitterly.
She cried continuously for four days, which worried him, but contrary to his concerns, from the fourth day onward, she no longer shed tears.
And after becoming a disciple of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, she drove herself so relentlessly that people called her ruthless.
What sustains her now is nothing but the thirst for vengeance.
“Sigh, I wish she would realize that there are many reasons to live in this world beyond revenge.”
.
.
.
Bing Hae-rin emerged from the Palace Master’s Quarters.
Her eyes were downcast.
Truthfully, she did envy the two people getting married.
Had she been born into an ordinary family, or had Seolpung Palace not suffered such calamity, she would not have chosen to come to the Ice Palace and would have married someone instead.
But such thoughts were futile.
Now, revenge was the only driving force of her life.
Thus she returned to the Conference Room.
“How did it go?”
At the Elders’ question, she answered.
“Except for one revision, proceed as planned.”
After explaining this, Bing Hae-rin distributed tasks among the Elders.
“Then, please do your best for an unforgettable Ice Palace wedding.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I will spare no effort in this old body for the finest Ice Palace wedding.”
Hearing those words, Bing Hae-rin smiled with a grin.
Eun Seo-ho, who had been quite flustered when they first met at the Ice Palace Inn, was now the person to whom the word “old friend” suited best.
For some reason, she looked forward to seeing him taken aback.
‘I never knew I had this side to me.’
It was an unfamiliar feeling, but not an unpleasant one.

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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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