The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 721

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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 721

Chapter 721. Mirage Bookstore (2)

I departed the Beijing Branch alongside Seo Hyang.
Before leaving, I sent a letter to Jingyeong Alliance.
The message stated that I would be away from Beijing temporarily due to my marriage.
Thus, we set out for Luoyang, escorted by the Beijing Branch staff.
As we traveled, I recalled how the Sandong Ak Family Patriarch had recently been summoned by the Emperor to the Imperial Palace.
What was remarkable was that the Emperor himself came out to the palace entrance to greet the Sandong Ak Family Patriarch, and had him ride in the imperial carriage as they entered the palace together.
Within the Imperial Palace, only the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Prince could ride in carriages or on horseback.
Everyone else could only do so with the Emperor’s explicit permission.
Moreover, riding in the Emperor’s carriage alongside him was an extraordinary honor not easily bestowed.
In other words, the Emperor had treated the Sandong Ak Family Patriarch with exceptional courtesy, exactly as I had advised.
Furthermore, he summoned his officials and held a grand banquet, where he even bestowed the finest silk as gifts.
The Sandong Ak Family Patriarch was so moved that he shed tears twelve times, or so I heard.
The Emperor truly is generous.
Though I had made the suggestion, I had only envisioned him summoning the patriarch to express gratitude and having him attend a banquet.
But the Emperor treated him far more lavishly than that.
“Why are you smiling alone? Wouldn’t it be better if we all smiled together?”
Seeing Palgap’s curiosity, I let out a soft chuckle.
“This time, the Sandong Ak Family Patriarch transferred the Twelve Spear Technique to the Martial Hall and received such generous treatment from the Emperor at the palace.”
“Ah, I heard about that.”
“I’m curious to see what other families will do.”
The other Guard Warriors spoke up.
“They’ll probably all have headaches. They can’t transfer family martial arts or secret techniques, yet they can’t transfer low-level martial arts either.”
“It will be interesting to watch.”
Well, either way, the benefits accrue to the Martial Hall, so it’s a good thing.
“Jin Yu Warrior.”
“Yes.”
“And… Seo Hyang.”
Now that Seo Hyang had officially stepped down from her position as my deputy, she was no longer Gwak Vice-Manager.
So I should address her as Seo Hyang.
But that too would be temporary.
Soon she would become my wife, and I couldn’t call her by that name then either.
I gave the two of them my instructions.
“As you know, Luoyang is a dangerous place for both of you. So you must never release your divine transformation technique while in Luoyang.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll do that.”
How fortunate it was that I had mastered the Divine Transformation Art, which could alter not only a person’s appearance but their very aura.
“Fortunately, my proficiency with the Divine Transformation Art has grown considerably.”
“Since I’ve been using it every single day.”
True to their words, both of them had made tremendous efforts to master the Divine Transformation Art.
They had even used it while sleeping, to such an extent.
“And I’ve also memorized the background information the Small Guild Master taught me.”
At Seo Hyang’s words, I scratched my cheek.
“I’m ashamed to have put you through such hardship.”
“Why would you say such a thing? It’s not as though I agreed to this marriage without knowing.”
I felt deeply grateful for Seo Hyang’s kind words.

We traveled directly to Kaifeng without stopping anywhere else.
There were people we needed to meet along the way, but they were people we would see at the wedding ceremony anyway.
And since meeting the League Master would consume considerable mental energy, proper energy management was essential.
Meeting people was something that required expending one’s strength.
Moreover, since Seo Hyang was traveling with us this time, I needed to be considerate of her.
Actually, I had originally planned to send her ahead to Hubei Province, but she refused.
She wanted us to move together.
Now I was grateful that she hadn’t gone to Hubei Province first.
When announcing a marriage to someone of higher status, it was proper etiquette to go with the bride.
Had I gone alone, I might have received a disapproving reaction or aroused suspicion.
It was better to eliminate such possibilities entirely.
Upon arriving in Kaifeng, we stayed at the Yeochun Inn Kaifeng Branch.
There was no inn as comfortable as that one.
And I was also pleased with the various amenities it offered.
Personally, I wished the Yeochun Inn would open branches in Shandong and other places as well.
The next day, we set out again and finally arrived in Luoyang.
We arrived quite quickly thanks to riding the Ju Gang Ma.
We headed toward the Eun Hae Trading Company Luoyang Branch.
“It’s been such a long time since I’ve been here.”
“Indeed.”
The Luoyang Branch was built on land I had procured.
Feeling the need to expand, I had asked the Jegal Family’s Grand Elder to help me obtain the land, and since it was a haunted estate, I was able to purchase it cheaply.
But it turned out it wasn’t actually a haunted estate—it was a place where pure spiritual energy gathered and surged up to the surface.
Had there been no incident at Seolpung Palace, that place would have become Seolpung Palace’s Luoyang branch.
In any case, it is now the Eun Hae Trading Company’s Luoyang Branch.
And the identity of the ghost that had frightened everyone was….
“Oh my, that child is greeting us first.”
Seo Hyang pointed to the roof of the wall as she spoke.
A white Dambi.
A spirit creature that guards the vital energy of this place.
Though invisible to my eyes.
“Then let us enter.”
Perhaps because we had arrived without notice, Eun Jung-seon, the Luoyang Branch Manager, rushed over in surprise.
“My! What brings you here without word?”
“My apologies for the surprise. We had business with the Murim Alliance on our way to Hubei Province, so we stopped by briefly.”
“I see. Will you be staying here then?”
“Yes. It appears we shall remain for several days.”
“Understood. I shall show you to your quarters.”
Thus we proceeded inside.
“The place has changed considerably.”
Though not all traces of the former estate had vanished, much had been transformed.
The Branch Manager nodded at my words.
“There were many deteriorated items, so we replaced them entirely.”
“You did well.”
I spoke to the Branch Manager.
“You appear to have regained your health.”
“Thanks to you, the Small Guild Master. And because the Merchant Guild Leader took care to provide the finest medicinal materials, I was able to make a full recovery recently.”
“That is truly fortunate.”
When I had come to Luoyang for the Martial Arts Grand Conference before, I had revealed to him that the Physician dispatched to the Luoyang Branch was deceiving him.
Thus in this life, he was able to preserve his life.
Needless to say, that Physician’s fate was far from pleasant. The Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon would never have let someone who sought to kill him go unpunished.
The quarters the Branch Manager showed us were located deeper within.
And they had been cleaned today, appearing spotless.
“The cleaning is impeccable.”
“We clean daily so that the Merchant Guild Leader’s family may be received comfortably whenever they visit.”
“I appreciate your attentiveness.”
We unpacked our belongings in our respective chambers, and I sent Seo-woo Warrior to arrange a meeting with the League Master.
When might I meet with the League Master?
And what reaction would he show when I informed him of my wedding, and whom would he send, and such matters.
I rested upon the bed, contemplating these various thoughts.

Before long, Seo-woo Warrior returned.
“Did you meet with him?”
“Yes. I’ve arranged an audience with the League Master for the morning, two days from now.”
“Did you secure his promise at that meeting?”
“Yes. He asked me to wait a moment, then provided the date for the audience. He said he would send someone to escort me.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Two days from now in the morning… that’s sooner than I expected.
From what I know, the League Master’s schedule is packed nearly a month in advance.
However, there must be gaps reserved for meetings with important guests, so he does keep some time open.
By allocating that time to me, it means he regards me as an important guest.
Then again, my standing in the martial arts world isn’t lacking.
I’m a promising master at my peak who secured third place at the recent Martial Arts Grand Conference with overwhelming skill.
Hmm, thinking of myself this way feels embarrassing.
“Two days from now isn’t bad at all,” Seo Hyang remarked.
I nodded at her words, and Seo-woo Warrior chuckled in response.
“Ideally, he’d like to meet today, but he has appointments with other important guests, so two days from now is the earliest available date.”
“I see.”
Truthfully, I felt relieved.
Meeting today would have been emotionally exhausting.
“Squeak. Squeak!”
“Chirp! Chirp?”
“Squeak.”
Dambi, the Spirit Creature, was currently perched on Seo Hyang’s lap.
She was reporting to Geumryeong about recent events, and it felt oddly like she was briefing a superior officer.
Why did she seem so disciplined? Had Geumryeong threatened her with gold?
Dambi absolutely despised gold.
“Chirp?”
No?
If she had gold like that, shouldn’t she eat it instead of using it for such nonsense?
Well, that makes sense.
In any case, the meeting with the League Master was set for two days from now.
I asked everyone present.
“Does anyone have prior commitments over the next two days?”
“Your schedule is our schedule, my lord.”
“That was a foolish question.”
I laughed at Chang-un Warrior’s response.
“Since we’ve come all the way to Luoyang, let’s go get something delicious to eat.”
I suggested an outing to everyone.
From my experience, when my mind is troubled, the best remedy is to redirect my attention elsewhere.
“Yeo Warrior, please ask the Branch Manager if he has any plans for this evening, and if not, tell him we’d all like to dine together with the branch staff.”
“Understood.”
After a brief moment, the Yeo Eung-am Warrior returned.
“He says there are no evening engagements scheduled. And he has instructed all the branch personnel to attend the evening banquet.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
I called for Palgap.
“Palgap, go to Haeparou and ask if we can reserve the top floor for this evening. If it’s available, secure it and return.”
“Understood.”

After Palgap had reserved the top floor and returned, we departed considerably earlier than our appointed time.
We needed to survey the location beforehand.
Haeparou, I was told, had been named with the hope that guests would flow in as ceaselessly as ocean waves.
“Welcome. Are you perhaps the Great Swordmaster Seonhyeop Mirang?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“What an honor to meet you in person.”
To operate a pavilion in Luoyang or work as a shop attendant in one, memorizing the faces of martial artists was essential.
One misstep could result in offending someone of considerable power.
The shop attendant spoke cautiously.
“You’ve arrived quite early, haven’t you?”
“I came to inspect a few things. May I go up now?”
“Of course. We’re currently preparing for the banquet.”
As the shop attendant guided me to the top floor, the entire vista of Luoyang unfolded before my eyes.
I had chosen this place as the banquet venue not only for the beautiful summer evening scenery visible from here, but also for the cuisine.
The lamb skewers and spicy broth were particularly exquisite.
We inspected the banquet hall thoroughly, checking every conceivable hiding place—a necessary precaution because this was Luoyang.
There were many who took keen interest in my every move.
Especially those belonging to the Baekcheon Trading Company would be watching this banquet closely.
After completing our inspection and resting, the branch personnel began to arrive.
“Thank you for inviting us to this banquet.”
“Please, think nothing of it. I hope you all have an enjoyable evening.”
“Congratulations on the marriage of you both.”
As we exchanged congratulations with the Luoyang Branch personnel, the dishes were laid out.
I had requested all the food be brought at once.
And I had instructed them that no constant service was necessary—they should only come when called.
One must never let one’s guard down around inn shop attendants.
While some were ordinary attendants, many belonged to the Hao Organization.
Some might even have been bribed by others.

The banquet had been quite enjoyable, and it ended at a reasonably early hour.
Moreover, there hadn’t been excessive pressure to drink.
“Don’t you have work tomorrow?”
The Branch Manager continued with a smile.
“As soon as the drinking ban was lifted, some employees rushed to the taverns and drank all night.”
Well, after years without alcohol, it’s understandable they’d crave it so desperately.
“Perhaps because it had been so long, they drank less than usual but still became completely intoxicated, so I had to go retrieve them personally.”
“That must have been quite a sight the next day.”
“After that, they showed more restraint.”
At least they reflected quickly—that’s fortunate.
Alcohol tolerance is partly innate, but it certainly diminishes if you don’t drink for a long time.
As they gradually adapt and drink moderately, there should be no problems.
After the banquet concluded, I gazed up at the sky.
The moon shone brightly.
I spoke to Seo Hyang.
“Would you prefer to retire first? I thought I’d take a brief walk through the Luoyang Market Streets before heading in.”
“Would it be alright if I joined you?”
“Then let’s walk together.”
Seo Hyang had visited Luoyang only a few times, and even then, due to the risk of her identity being exposed, she had rarely ventured beyond the inn.
So naturally, she would be curious about the Luoyang Market Streets.
I walked alongside her and offered explanations.
Summer nights truly possess their own unique charm.
“This is Book Street. It’s somewhat different from the one in Beijing.”
She nodded at my words.
“Indeed. It seems most of the books here are about martial arts.”
“That’s correct.”
I asked her a question.
“Is there any particular book you need?”
“No. Since I don’t know much about martial arts, why would I need such books?”
Though she said so, she had already realized it.
That truly worthwhile books simply don’t exist here.
Precious texts are all hidden away in the secret vaults of the various sects, families, and the Murim Alliance.
At that moment, Palgap spoke up.
“Wouldn’t you be curious about the young master’s youth? There’s a book called [The Thirty-Sixth Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament: Emerging Heroes]….”
Thwack!
In that instant, Geumryeong headbutted Palgap in the stomach.
“Oof!”
Thanks to that, Palgap couldn’t finish his sentence.
Well done, Geumryeong.

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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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