The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 719

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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 719

Chapter 719. Chung-ui Hall (6)

I slipped free from the net and brushed the dust from my clothes as I spoke.
“Ah, Palgap will certainly scold me about soiling my garments.”
Jin Yu Warrior responded to my words.
“It was unavoidable. I will explain the circumstances thoroughly.”
“Thank you.”
Then I turned my head to look at Baek Son. His expression now resembled that of someone who had just witnessed a ghost.
“W-what! How could this happen! That net was woven from Heavenly Silkworm Thread!”
“Ah… goodness! Why didn’t you mention that earlier? If you had, I certainly wouldn’t have torn it so dramatically!”
In truth, I had known all along.
After all, thanks to the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, my inner energy circulation had been flowing quite smoothly.
“The Control Cup should be functioning properly right now, so how could this possibly happen!”
In his hand was a single cup, from which a crimson light emanated.
“One should not be able to use inner energy anywhere near this cup!”
So that’s why it’s called the Control Cup.
A vessel that suppresses inner energy, as the name suggests.
Upon seeing that cup, Geumryeong let out a low whistle.
It must be quite expensive.
Indeed, an artifact capable of preventing one’s opponent from using inner energy would certainly be extraordinarily precious.
That artifact likely functions against even those at the Peak realm.
Since my level is known to be at the Peak.
Otherwise, I would have employed a different method.
Since both I and Jin Yu Warrior exist beyond the Peak, that cup simply cannot exert its power against us.
How can I apologize for this?
This is precisely why martial artists say one should conceal three-tenths of their true strength.
Only then can one avoid falling into such traps.
I tilted my head thoughtfully.
“It seems that cup must be defective. Or perhaps it was damaged from careless handling.”
I continued speaking.
“In any case, I appreciate your cooperation. I was troubled by the lack of evidence proving you were the culprit, yet you’ve confessed in such a manner.”
Of course, it wasn’t as though evidence was entirely absent.
By examining how he obtained the ice and tracing his movements during the time of the crime, I could have identified him as the perpetrator.
If that failed, I could have had Jang So-seok, known to be dead, come forward and testify.
But since there was an easier method, I had set this trap instead.
The very act of telling Commander-in-Chief that I would speak with him secretly at dawn tomorrow had been the trap itself.
Baek Son likely thought he had caught me in a trap of his own making, but in reality, I had caught him in a trap of mine.
“So, what was your reason for trying to kill me?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“You were afraid that the truth about you being the one who killed Jang So-seok would be revealed through me.”
Fortunately, Baek Son admitted it readily.
“This is all because of you. If you hadn’t spouted such unnecessary nonsense, Jang So-seok wouldn’t have suspected me over what happened during the last mission.”
“So what happened during the last mission was the problem. I heard you were deployed on that mission along with those who died in the line of duty….”
I furrowed my brow and continued speaking.
“Their deaths were because of you! Did you kill them?”
“I had no choice!”
He shouted abruptly.
“They said they’d expose my collusion if I didn’t reveal who the Geumui Guard disguised as a merchant was… What was I supposed to do!”
“So you betrayed them?”
“Betrayal?”
He spoke with a contemptuous expression.
“From the beginning, my loyalty was only to money. I simply followed the money—there’s no betrayal in that.”
How infuriating.
I sighed and shook my head.
“Do you know what I’ve observed from your actions this time? You don’t have the slightest talent for making money. Yet you claim loyalty to money? How laughable.”
I continued speaking.
“You were never money’s servant—you were merely its slave. And money discards its slaves without mercy whenever it pleases.”
“Shut up.”
He cried out with murderous eyes.
“Didn’t you say it earlier? There’s no evidence that I’m the culprit? That means no one will believe your claim that I am, right? Hahahaha!”
He laughed like a madman as he spoke.
“Want to know what’s amusing? If you kill me, you’ll be hunted by the Geumui Guard for murdering an innocent member. And Dongchang will come after you too. I’ve already set everything up. And even if I kill you, I’ll be fine. Dongchang will take the fall for everything.”
“I see. Are you perhaps bragging about how clever you are right now?”
“Did it sound like bragging? Then you heard correctly!”
With those words, he swung his sword and rushed at me, but there was no reason for either me or Jin Yu Warrior to take his attack.
Whoosh!
I easily dodged the attack and kicked Baek Son’s chest to the left, while Jin Yu Warrior, who had evaded to the left, kicked him to the right this time.
Thud!
Cough!
He stumbled forward, coughing blood as if he had suffered internal injuries. Yet he did not stop laughing.
“Hehehehe, I told you. You’ll be in serious trouble if you kill me. Are you still okay with that?”
“When did I say I would kill you?”
“Huh?”
“There is someone else who will handle that.”
I gave a signal, and soon several people approached.
They were the Geumui Guard, led by the Commander-in-Chief.
“Gasp!”
The faces of those who saw Baek Son had turned deathly pale.
These were the true trap I had prepared.
“Baek Son.”
The Commander-in-Chief spoke in a cold voice.
“I heard your story well. So, you were never loyal to the Emperor from the beginning—then I too shall not treat you as the Emperor’s servant.”
And the moment he raised his hand.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Hwangbo Seon-yu Grand Master and another master rushed at him, seizing both his arms and forcibly lifting him up.
The Commander-in-Chief approached him.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
He struck every vital meridian point across his body, and finally extended his hand toward his back from behind.
“Severed!”
“Cough!”
Baek Son staggered greatly and coughed up blood.
I was slightly taken aback internally.
To immediately strip away his Imperial Palace martial arts and destroy his dantian on the spot like this.
“You are no longer a member of the Geumui Guard.”
The Commander-in-Chief, having declared this, then commanded.
“Treat this man as a first-class criminal.”
“Yes, sir!”
I had heard about this before from the Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
Being treated as a first-class criminal meant receiving treatment worse than a traitor.
They would gag you, hang you upside down from walls or ceilings, interrogate you, and inflict punishment.
With a brazier placed beneath, the suffering would be indescribable.
“Ugh….”
I called out to him as he was dragged away, groaning.
“Master Baek.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard Masters dragging him turned his body around.
“I have something to tell you, and it would feel unfortunate if you left without hearing it.”
Since he was already gagged, he couldn’t respond, but that didn’t matter.
“You said earlier that Dongchang would come after me, didn’t you? But what’s this? The Dongchang guarding that secret vault didn’t go to the upper management. He was with me.”
“…!”
“And, in fact, Jang So-seok Grand Master did not die.”
As I spoke, Jang So-seok Grand Master revealed himself.
He greeted Baek Son.
“It’s been a while.”
Baek Son’s eyes widened as if they would split open.
“Why are you so surprised? Why are you shocked that I didn’t die?”
“Mmmph-mmmph-mmmph!”
“Ah, what you killed was nothing more than a phantom I crafted using the secret techniques I’ve mastered.”
“Ughhhh!”
Baek Son thrashed about in a frenzy, but it was already over.
The Gold-Clad Guard Masters dragged him away, and as I watched him recede into the distance, the Commander-in-Chief spoke to me.
“I’m grateful. Thanks to you, we were able to apprehend the one who was undermining the Gold-Clad Guard.”
“I’m relieved I could be of service.”
I had thought we’d filtered out most of the corrupt elements within the Gold-Clad Guard, but to discover there were still more… the Emperor would surely be deeply troubled.
“Now I understand why Bang Dae-in entrusted you with the successor’s token.”
“You’re too kind.”
“It’s not excessive praise. In any case, inform Dae-in about this matter as quickly as possible. If she hears about it through someone else’s mouth, she’ll feel slighted.”
“Oh! You’re right. Thank you for the advice.”
“And thank you for saving Jang So-seok’s life.”
Thus the matter came to a close.
.
.
.
The next day.
Before lunch, I headed to the conference room where I’d been instructing the Gold-Clad Guard.
With Jang So-seok returning and Baek Son gone, there were now nineteen trainees in total.
They were all gathered in the conference room.
The way they looked at me seemed different from just days ago.
Before, it was fear and curiosity, but now there was an added layer of respect.
“Jang So-seok.”
“Yes.”
“Given your circumstances, I’ll exclude you from the evaluation. Of course, there will be no deductions either, so rest assured.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, show me the money each of you has earned.”
The trainees displayed the items they’d purchased with their earnings from the previous night.
They were quite varied.
Some had bought brushes, others had purchased short swords, and still others had bought grain.
They had resold these items and earned money, with profits ranging from as little as one copper coin to as much as two gold coins.
And I took particular notice of someone named Hae Gon.
He had earned a profit of two gold coins—quite impressive.
Surely what he’d shown me yesterday was writing supplies. Items he’d purchased with money earned from stones.
“How on earth did you manage to earn two gold coins?”
He answered my question readily.
“I sold my skills.”
“Your skills?”
“Actually, I’m quite good at calligraphy. So I organized my notes from this lecture into a booklet and sold it.”
Hm?
“It sold very well, I hear.”
He spoke thus and withdrew a book from his sleeve.

[Seonhyeop Mirang Great Swordmaster’s Direct Lecture: The Way of the Merchant]

I opened the book and examined it. My lectures had been organized with perfect clarity.
I lifted my gaze to Haegon Daehyeop.
This man is impressive… I wonder if I could drag him to my office?
“Why… are you doing this?”
He quickly produced a money pouch from his breast.
“Here is the Great Swordmaster’s share as well. It is half of the profits.”
“So the total profits amount to four Gold Coins?”
“Yes.”
This man is truly impressive.
“If there is anything I have done incorrectly, please tell me. I shall correct it at once.”
“No, not at all. Ahem.”
I cleared my throat with regret and pushed the money pouch back toward him.
“This money was earned by Haegon Daehyeop, so you should keep it.”
“Is that truly acceptable?”
“Of course. Have I ever placed restrictions forbidding such things?”
Then I surveyed the students and spoke.
“The one who achieved the finest results today is Haegon Daehyeop. Therefore, I shall present the promised gifts to both Akcheum Daehyeop and Haegon Daehyeop.”
I withdrew two wooden tablets from my breast and offered them.
“What is this?”
“Should you require my assistance in the Merchant Guild in the future, I shall help you once. Of course, only when it causes me no great loss. This is the token of that promise.”
“Is… is that truly so?”
“Thank you. Thank you so very much.”
They rejoiced as though they might leap into the air.
Giving such things merely for excellent performance in training might seem a loss, but in the long term, it benefits me as well.
These men have a high likelihood of rising to high positions within the Geumui Guard in the future.
To forge connections with such individuals beforehand is worthwhile.
In later years, it would be impossible even with millions in gold, but now it is possible.
“Then, let us continue the lesson.”
All eyes turned toward me at my words.
“Until now, you have learned theory about merchants and engaged in practical exercises. Yet you have not yet learned the most crucial thing—enduring contempt.”
I continued.
“In the Empire, people’s perception of merchants is not favorable. Their treatment is even worse. Particularly, Imperial Officials constantly demand bribes without warning, and should matters displease them, they strike without hesitation.”
“…”
“Yet because one is a merchant, one must bow one’s head and swallow tears.”
I smiled faintly.
“It’s quite amusing, really. Without merchants, the Empire’s goods cannot circulate properly, and neither commoners nor high officials can obtain what they need freely.”
The hall fell silent.
“If you are to disguise yourselves as merchants, the most important thing is to endure any situation that arises. In fact, I understand that many have made mistakes here and lost their lives.”
I raised my voice.
“Even if someone curses the Emperor or the Geumui Guard to your face, you must endure it. Even if they strike your cheek or kick your shin out of displeasure, you must endure it.”
“So we must only endure?”
“Of course not.”
I shook my head firmly.
“Endurance means waiting for an opportunity. When that opportunity comes, you strike like lightning to cut off your opponent’s breath.”
“….”
“Therefore, if you encounter a merchant who bows and scrapes before you, treat them with kindness if possible. Then they will not bite.”

Thus I concluded the instruction.
I wasn’t certain it would help, but it was better than doing nothing.
Now I should go collect my teaching fee.

A short while later.
I sat across from the Commander-in-Chief in his office.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all. It was a rewarding experience for me.”
He handed me a pouch.
“This is the promised compensation.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, I heard the teaching material was a stone. Do I need to pay for that stone as well?”
“That’s no ordinary stone. I personally picked it up and carefully polished it.”
“Will labor costs suffice?”
The Commander-in-Chief chuckled and handed me an additional silver coin, which I accepted gratefully.
I wanted to ask for compensation for dealing with Baek Son as well, but I kept quiet about that.
If I mentioned it, they might ask me to pay for the Heavenly Silkworm net I had torn.
“Thank you. Then I shall take my leave….”
“Wait. It’s too early to depart. His Majesty the Emperor has summoned you.”
“….”
I knew this would happen.

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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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