The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 707

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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 707

Chapter 707. Whereabouts (4)

I turned to the disciple who had spoken such thoughtless words to Chang-un Warrior.
“By the way, what is the name of your dojo?”
“It is called Yu Gak, but why do you ask about my dojo’s name?”
“Because I need to know the dojo’s name to inform the Sect Leader that there is a disciple whose training is still insufficient, do I not?”
At my words, he faltered for a moment, but soon composed himself and spoke with apparent calm.
“I… it doesn’t matter. Regardless, the fact that I am a true disciple of the Jongnam Sect remains unchanged.”
“I see.”
I let out a soft laugh.
“It seems you have quite a formidable backing after all. Well, that’s fine. I intend to inform the Murim Alliance Leader of this matter as well.”
“…!”
At my words, his face drained of all color.
No matter how strong his backing might be, it could never compare to the Murim Alliance Leader.
“And before that, I also intend to speak of the Yu Gak Dojo to those I know. I happen to know quite a few people, after all.”
“….”
“Then rumors will spread throughout the entire martial arts world. I am curious whether the Jongnam Sect will truly continue to keep the Yu Gak Dojo, which has tarnished the sect’s honor, as a true disciple.”
Only then did he seem to grasp the gravity of his situation, and he collapsed to his knees right there.
“I have spoken foolishly. Please, I beg your forgiveness.”
“Do you truly mean that?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“It appears you are merely trying to escape your current predicament. How could such an apology touch one’s heart? A true apology must come from genuine sincerity, and one good way to achieve this is to walk in the other’s shoes.”
I continued.
“Should you become an outer disciple like Chang-un Warrior or be expelled from the sect, you will come to understand how unworthy a sage you have been, and how deeply you have wounded Chang-un Warrior’s heart. Only then will your apology be truly sincere.”
At my words, Yu Gak Master bowed his head.
“I am truly sorry. Please, spare me! If I am expelled, my family will cast me out and beat me to death.”
But why did I feel nothing?
I regarded him with cold eyes.
Though he wept and pleaded, I felt not a shred of sympathy.
How dare he offend my people!
At that moment, Chang-un Warrior bowed to me.
“My lord, I beg you to forgive this foolish disciple. I know you are one to follow through on your word, but please, grant him one more chance.”
“Removing such a corrupt disciple would benefit the Jongnam Sect.”
“Your words are true, but as they say, fallen leaves become fertilizer. Let this be a lesson to them so they may become better disciples. I humbly ask that you reconsider, just this once.”
“Sigh… Chang-un Warrior, you are far too kind-hearted.”
I smiled bitterly and turned my gaze toward Yu Gak Master and the others.
“Chang-un Warrior’s situation was an unintended accident. As fellow disciples of the Jongnam Sect, we should have covered for him, yet instead of doing so, you mock and criticize him? What then becomes of the Jongnam Sect? Is this truly the image of the sect you all aspire toward?”
At my rebuke, they all bowed their heads deeply.
“Today, out of respect for Chang-un Warrior’s request, I shall let this matter rest.”
“Thank you.”
“We shall not act recklessly again.”
I turned my gaze back toward Chang-un Warrior.
“Then prepare yourselves. Shall we take a walk?”
As I spoke, I glanced over the disciples behind me.
Saying we would let this rest today meant I would interrogate them again tomorrow.
Would they truly reflect after a single rebuke?
I was certain—absolutely certain—they would not.
And I do have a tendency to hold grudges.

A short while later.
We were ascending Zhongnan Mountain.
“A walk meant climbing Zhongnan Mountain?”
At Chang-un Warrior’s question, I nodded.
“Yes. There is something I need to find.”
“I understand. And….”
Chang-un Warrior hesitated before continuing.
“I was grateful for what you did earlier.”
“Regarding that matter, it is nothing. I simply cannot tolerate those of my own being disrespected or belittled, so I acted accordingly.”
“….”
At my words, he seemed momentarily dazed.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Ah, no! It is nothing….”
And then he spoke with a moved expression.
“I shall guide you along the most optimal path.”
Watching him stride ahead with newfound enthusiasm, I tilted my head in confusion.
“I have no idea why he suddenly became like that.”
At my words, Palgap chuckled softly.
“That is something Young Master will likely never understand.”
What?
And the other Guard Warriors turned their heads, smiling.
Were they all mocking me together?
In any case, we climbed the mountain diligently.
If I knew something about Yeom’s Elder Master’s Descendant and the range of his movements, I could search within that area, but lacking that knowledge, I had no choice but to search methodically.
Zhongnan Mountain was quite expansive.
It was not without reason that the villagers called it the Great Mountain.
After climbing for perhaps an hour or two, we continued onward.
“Let us rest for a moment.”
“Yes.”
I settled onto a suitable boulder, drank water, and chewed on dried meat while taking a brief respite.
As we entered the seventh month, even this place had grown quite warm.
“But what exactly are you searching for? If we’re permitted to know, it would be better if we could help you look.”
“Ah, I’m searching for the Ice Crystal.”
I answered readily.
After all, once we found it, everyone would learn of it anyway.
“What? The Ice Crystal…?”
“Yes, that very Ice Crystal.”
“Why would something that should be in the Northern Sea be here?”
“There is a story behind it.”
I explained the entire matter to them from beginning to end.
“Therefore… I must recover the Ice Crystal if it exists in this place. The reason is….”
At this, Yeo Eung-am Warrior spoke.
“You need not explain further.”
“Yes. I can surmise the reason.”
Lee Pil Warrior agreed with that sentiment.
“Ahem, very well then.”
Jin Yu Warrior asked.
“But can Geumryeong not locate the Ice Crystal?”
“According to him, he claims he can find it, but there has been no response yet.”
It seemed to be hidden quite thoroughly.
Could they have ground it into powder and scattered it?
But the techniques for processing the Ice Crystal would have been lost when his descendants crossed into the Empire.
If not that, then the Ice Crystal would have already been divided into fragments, with each descendant carrying one piece.
At that moment, Myeong-jong Warrior spoke.
“Then what about using that red cloth wrapper?”
A red cloth wrapper—did he mean Hyun Ro-do?
“If the Ice Crystal remains intact in that location, it might show us the way.”
“An excellent idea.”
I immediately retrieved the Hyun Ro-do and traced characters with my finger beside it.
[Guide me to the nearest location where the Ice Crystal exists]
Soon a map appeared on the Hyun Ro-do.
And a golden line on the Hyun Ro-do… glimmered.
Huh?
Why is it shimmering from where I am?
As I pondered for a moment, I soon understood the reason. The Eun Moo-geom I possessed was a sword forged from the Ice Crystal.
Therefore, the Hyun Ro-do had identified my Eun Moo-geom as the Ice Crystal.
[Find the Ice Crystal at the second nearest location, not my sword]
The golden line then guided us to another location.
But… the trail was quite long, wasn’t it?
Seo-woo Warrior, who saw this, spoke up.
“It seems Yeom’s Blacksmith’s Foreman must have had quite exceptional stamina.”
“Indeed, that’s true.”
But there was nothing we could do about it.
We traversed Zhongnan Mountain following the path Hyun Ro-do had shown us.
As we traveled, I came to understand why the route Hyun Ro-do had indicated was quite lengthy.
It was because he had guided us along the safest path.
If we had risked danger, the journey wouldn’t have taken long, but Hyun Ro-do’s purpose was to show us the safest route possible.
By the time we arrived, evening had already fallen.
“Squeak!”
At that moment, Geumryeong wriggled out from inside my sleeve, darted toward a spot, and began striking the ground repeatedly with his front paws.
This must be the place.
I approached Geumryeong.
“It’s buried there?”
“Squeak!”
“It’s buried quite deep, you say? You heard that, didn’t you, Palgap?”
“I’m not sure what Geumryeong is saying, but I heard your words, young master.”
Palgap then began digging at the spot Geumryeong had indicated using a shovel he had prepared in advance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
But there was no sign of the Ice Crystal appearing anytime soon.
“Huff, huff! Geumryeong, is this the right spot?”
“Squeak! Squeak!”
He was complaining about why the digging wasn’t going smoothly.
Geumryeong dove into the hole where Palgap had been digging and began clawing at the earth with his front paws.
Scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch-scratch!
Palgap was startled by that speed, then muttered with a deflated expression.
“If you’re going to do it like that, why don’t you just dig it yourself…”
While I was crouching beside him, comforting the discouraged Palgap, Geumryeong suddenly bounded out.
He was holding something in his mouth.
When I extended my hand, Geumryeong placed it in my palm.
A jewel gleaming with white radiance.
Seeing my inner energy accumulated through the Taiyin Ice-Sea Divine Art stirring actively, it was unmistakably the Ice Crystal.
So he couldn’t bring himself to destroy it and hid it instead.
“You did well!”
“Squeak! Squeak!”
Don’t forget to give me gold coins later, yes?
Yes, I’ll give them to you. Secretly from Palgap.
“Is that the Ice Crystal?”
Palgap showed curiosity and reached out to touch the Ice Crystal.
“Hold on there!”
“Why, sir? It’s not like it wears down just from touching it.”
“No, it does wear down. Your life.”
“Eek! What do you mean by that?”
Palgap was startled, and Jin Yu Warrior chuckled as he explained.
“Palgap. The Ice Crystal is an artifact that cannot be touched by anyone lacking the extreme yin energy. You’ll freeze to death.”
“Really? You’re saying just touching it will freeze you to death?”
Seo-woo Warrior nodded.
“That’s why it’s considered a treasure of the Northern Sea and a priceless rarity.”
“Which means in this place, only I can handle it.”
“Geumryeong brought it in her mouth, sir.”
“Right, because Geumryeong is a Spirit Creature.”
“Chirp!”
I placed the Ice Crystal in my robe and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the dirt from Geumryeong’s body.
As I examined the interior of the tunnel Geumryeong had dug, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow.
Without Geumryeong, this would have been nearly impossible to excavate.
The tunnel Geumryeong had dug curved to the side, and above it sat an enormous boulder.
In other words, to retrieve the Ice Crystal, one would need to dig at an angle, but even then, the boulder’s weight would cause it to collapse into the excavated space, rendering all efforts futile.
So how exactly did Yeom’s Elder Master’s Descendant manage to bury the Ice Crystal there?
To solve this mystery, I examined the boulder more closely and noticed something peculiar.
Traces of work done with chisels and hammers scattered across the boulder’s surface.
Then it became clear.
The picture formed in my mind.
Yeom’s Elder Master’s Descendant hadn’t buried the Ice Crystal beneath the boulder. He had buried it and then deliberately engineered the rock above it to collapse naturally.
Over the years, as wind and rain weathered the boulder, the sections weakened by the chisel and hammer work gradually crumbled, eventually covering the burial site.
A landslide followed afterward.
That’s why no one ever knew it was here.
In any case, I was fortunate to recover the Ice Crystal.
I’d need to return it when I eventually visited the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
The Ice Crystal was far too dangerous an object to remain within the Empire.
.
.
.
Rather than camp there for the night, we made our way directly back to Ongok Village.
Thanks to the Night Luminous Pearl, we didn’t lose our way, but by the time we arrived, dawn was already breaking.
“Where have you been out to at this hour before dawn?”
At Yeom Ye Night Commander’s question, I smiled and answered.
“I took a brief mountain excursion, but I lost my way and wandered about a bit.”
“Fortunately, you made it back safely.”
“There was a warrior from the Jongnam Sect, so I was able to escape quickly.”
“I see.”
“But what brings you out at this early hour?”
“Ah, I’m preparing to build a house.”
Looking behind him, I could see various materials stacked up for construction.
“The materials were procured faster than expected.”
“With enough money, there’s nothing one cannot accomplish, is there? Thanks to the advance payment the Great Hero gave me for the hidden blades, I was able to prepare quickly for building the house. I’m truly grateful.”
“Think nothing of it.”
For some reason, my eyes kept returning to that blacksmith workshop.
Since it was a place where fire was handled, there was always the risk that another fire could break out and consume the house.
And the child I had saved could be caught in another fire as well.
No matter how I thought about it, something felt unsettling….
After pondering for a moment, I came up with a clever solution.

We secured a room at the inn, and I entered the chamber assigned to me.
Then I went into the secret vault.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Ah… The Poison-Horned Snake is doing well.
I’ll need to sell that soon when I go to the Sichuan Tang Family Estate.
First, I carefully placed the ice crystal on the shelf.
Now, where was that….
Ah, there it is.
What I found was a blue ornament.
It was one of several I had purchased previously, intending to use when going to Guizhou with the eyes.
I removed only the jeweled portion of the ornament and infused it with yin energy.
Since I had become more accustomed to handling energy than before, I was able to contain a sufficient amount of yin energy.
I waited for nightfall, then took the jewel and headed toward the blacksmith workshop.
Naturally, there was no one there.
“Geumryeong, it’s your turn!”
“Squeak?”
“I haven’t forgotten the silver coins I promised you. You’d like to receive three at once, wouldn’t you?”
“Squeak!”
Geumryeong took the blue jewel I gave her and disappeared beneath the granite flooring of the blacksmith workshop.
It seemed the formation array here didn’t matter whether the yin energy was above or below.
Shortly after, I felt the yin energy gathering in the formation and water energy spreading outward.
Then Geumryeong emerged again.
Seeing no trace of disturbance, it appeared she had used a special ability.
But what was this?
When she used the ability to pass through objects, she said she got hungry—so why didn’t she use it then?
“Squeak!”
Ah… so you still use it even though it’s bitter?
I chuckled and handed over a Gold Coin.
“Caw! Caw-caw!”
Geumryeong was absolutely delighted.
I had originally planned to give silver coins, but since he worked especially hard this time, I was giving him a gold coin instead.
Shh! This is a secret from Palgap.
Palgap would get upset if he found 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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