The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 738

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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 738

Chapter 738. Why So Busy (2)

Dong Myeong-su closed his eyes.
His heart ached at the vivid image of his younger sister that still haunted him.
“Elder brother will be summoned to the Imperial Palace. So you must conduct yourself with propriety. Do you understand?”
Two months after hearing those words, the Imperial Palace truly called for him.
But that farewell, spoken as he departed to become an Embroidered Uniform Guard Master, became his last exchange with her.
When he saw her again, she had become a cold corpse.
Had he known he would never see his younger sister again, he would have found any excuse to remain by her side.
Yet now, his younger sister Dong Ja-ryeong had appeared before him.
But he could not help but realize that Eun Seo-ho’s wife was not his younger sister.
Though their faces resembled each other, the position of moles, the shape of their eyes, and their overall aura were different.
Dong Ja-ryeong possessed a warm and gentle presence.
But Eun Seo-ho’s wife whom he faced today was cold and distant.
‘Sigh… What am I thinking… Ja-ryeong is dead. Get hold of yourself.’
He consoled himself this way and apologized to Hwangbo Seon-yu.
“My apologies.”
“I understand. Eun Seo-ho would have understood as well, which is why he let it pass. You should be grateful for that.”
“Yes.”
“Go and compose yourself.”
“Thank you.”
He moved with heavy steps toward his quarters, but suddenly turned his head back toward Eun Seo-ho and his wife.
Just then, a breeze swept past, and she tucked a strand of hair that had fallen forward behind her ear.
“…!”
The moment he witnessed that gesture, he froze as if struck by lightning.
His sister had a habit of tucking her hair behind her ear with her ring finger.
It was a habit formed when she injured her right index finger in childhood.
Just now, she had tucked her hair behind her ear with her ring finger, just as his sister did.
‘Could it be…?’
Seeing this, several details suddenly came rushing back to him.
But he could not afford to commit another rudeness.
After a moment of deliberation, he made his decision.
‘I must meet with Father.’
His father was still at the Eun Hae Trading Company, as he was scheduled to accompany him when he traveled to Beijing.

A moment later.
After collecting his thoughts, he made his way to the inn where his father was staying.
As it happened, his father was taking a stroll in the garden in front of the inn.
“Father.”
“Ah, Myeong-su. What brings you here? You seem to have something on your mind.”
At his father’s question, Dong Myeong-su scratched his cheek and let out a heavy sigh.
“Yes. There is something I must tell you.”
“Speak freely.”
“Not here, though.”
At this, the Guizhou Provincial Governor spoke.
“Let us go inside.”
They went inside, and the Guizhou Provincial Governor personally served his son tea.
“Drink.”
“Thank you.”
Dong Myeong-su took a sip of tea, then fidgeted with the cup for a moment before speaking.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“Is Ja-ryeong alive?”
“…!”
A blunt question indeed.
The Guizhou Provincial Governor studied his son’s eyes.
They gleamed with certainty.
Though he had warned him to be cautious given his sharp perception, the fact that his son had come seeking answers suggested that warning had fallen on deaf ears.
In truth, even those with keen insight often stumble at the final step, but this time was different—there was no stumbling.
Yet the Guizhou Provincial Governor, tempered by years of political maneuvering, replied without changing his expression.
“Ja-ryeong alive? Where did you pick up such delusions?”
“But she brushed her hair back with her ring finger, just as Ja-ryeong did.”
“You’re chasing the ghost of Ja-ryeong over a single gesture like that?”
The Provincial Governor spoke as though exasperated.
“You were the one who wept bitterly, clutching the face of your dead brother. Have you forgotten?”
“I….”
He had no words.
His father was right.
“If we had held the funeral without seeing Ja-ryeong, I could understand your distress. But I deliberately waited because I thought you would be upset, and only then held the ceremony. Yet you speak such nonsense….”
“I apologize.”
“Whatever you do, do not speak such words before your mother. She lost Ja-ryeong and took to her bed, only recently recovering.”
“I shall remember.”
The Provincial Governor gazed at his son’s face and sighed.
“You still cannot let go of this attachment. Truth be told, I too investigated when I saw her, wondering if perhaps…. But she has trained in martial arts since childhood, and now she has reached the second rank. They say she will soon ascend to the first rank.”
“What?”
“As you well know, Ja-ryeong has always been frail. She never came close to martial arts. Yet how could she possibly reach such a level in merely two or three years?”
“Ah… You’re absolutely right. That would be impossible.”
“It seems your mental discipline has grown quite lax. How could you possibly protect the Emperor with such a mindset? When I go to Beijing this time, I shall have to request special training for you from the Commander-in-Chief.”
“Huh! Ah, Father! That… that is…”
Dong Myeong-su trembled involuntarily.
The special training of the Geumui Guard was truly special, after all.
“I will hear no objections. You are dismissed.”
“…”
“Hmph! Will you take your beating and leave? Leave while I’m still being kind?”
“Yes, Father. I’m going.”
With that, Dong Myeong-su hastily fled the guest quarters of the Guizhou Provincial Governor.
The Guizhou Provincial Governor watched his departure and let out a quiet sigh.
‘It seems I’ve managed to get through this time. Still, I cannot let my guard down entirely. I should give Eun Small Merchant Leader a hint about this.’

* * *

In the dead of night, when darkness enveloped all directions.
I received a letter from the Guizhou Provincial Governor and discreetly left the trading company.
Then I made my way to the place where we had arranged to meet.
It was a location we typically used for clandestine meetings due to its sparse foot traffic.
Upon arriving, the Guizhou Provincial Governor was already there, waiting.
Privately, he was also my father-in-law.
“I apologize for being late.”
“Not at all.”
He spoke directly to the point.
“It seems Myeong-su has caught on to something.”
“Pardon?”
“Ja-ryeong has a habit of brushing her hair back with her ring finger. It appears he made his deduction from that.”
More perceptive than I expected.
To remember and notice such a detail.
“For now, I’ve informed him of Seo Hyang’s martial arts level and rebuked him for his delusions.”
“Thank you.”
Indeed, my wife’s rate of martial progress was far from ordinary.
“Thank me? It’s my daughter’s life that hangs in the balance. Sigh, that boy is needlessly sharp.”
My father-in-law grumbled.
“But it seems he hasn’t abandoned his suspicions entirely. Be vigilant.”
“I shall be thorough in my vigilance.”
“And take good care of Ja-ryeong… no, Seo Hyang.”
“Of course. We shall live happily together from this day forward.”
Then I performed a deep bow before him.
This is the courtesy a son-in-law offers to his father-in-law.
Understanding my gesture, my father-in-law accepted the bow and then silently patted my shoulder.
Pat. Pat.
The taps carried a weighty resonance.

I parted ways with my father-in-law and returned to the merchant guild headquarters.
Just to be safe, I discreetly asked Jin Yu Warrior to escort my father-in-law to the inn.
“You’ve returned? Hwi.”
“Ah, Hyang-mae.”
I took her hand as she waited for me outside and spoke.
“The wind is rather biting.”
“I find it refreshing, actually.”
“Shall we take a walk then?”
“Yes.”
And so we strolled through the garden for a time.
As we walked, the wind picked up, and Lady Hyang-mae brushed her hair behind her ear with her ring finger.
Dong Myung-su must have noticed this.
“You brush your hair back with your ring finger.”
“Ah… yes, that’s right.”
She lowered her head slightly.
“When I was young, I caught my index finger in a door. The injury was quite severe, so I couldn’t use my index finger to brush back my hair. That habit from then has persisted ever since.”
“It seems Dong Myung-su noticed this.”
“Oh…”
It was something he needed to know anyway.
Her expression grew flustered.
“What should we do then?”
“There is no need for concern.”
I spoke calmly.
“My lady is hardly the only person in the world who brushes her hair back with her ring finger, is she?”
“That’s true.”
“If you become self-conscious about it, others will only find it more peculiar. So act naturally, and should anyone ask about it, simply tell them you acquired the habit after injuring your hand while training in martial arts.”
“Yes, I understand.”

The next day.
As planned, the Provincial Inspector and his wife, along with the Embroidered Uniform Guard Masters, departed together for Beijing.
My wife and I personally saw them off.
Thus, all the guests who had attended my wedding returned to their homes.
The Jegal Family’s Grand Elder said he would visit again soon.
And since Yu So-ak Chief Manager and Cho Young-young would be getting married before long.
I turned around and spoke to my Guard Warriors.
“You’ve all worked so hard.”
“Please, don’t mention it.”
“By the way, does everyone have time available? Since you’ve all worked so diligently, I’d like us to spend today enjoying ourselves together.”
“For something like that, we’ll make time even if we don’t have it.”
“That’s right.”
“I’ll make sure everyone clears their schedule.”
“Then after lunch today, please gather at my separate pavilion around the early hour of Shin (3 to 5 in the afternoon).”
“Understood. But wouldn’t that be too early to have dinner?”
I smiled and replied.
“There’s a place I need to visit briefly before dinner.”
Now it was time to attend to the matter I’d been putting off.

That afternoon.
Everyone gathered at my separate pavilion.
“Master, everyone has assembled.”
I turned and spoke.
“Hyang-mae, let’s go.”
“Yes, Hwi.”
And so we left the pavilion.
Since I hadn’t told them where we were going, my Guard Warriors looked curious.
I hadn’t said anything because I wanted to surprise them.
Of course, my wife already seemed to know.
Thus, I led everyone toward Yeom Master Craftsman’s Blacksmith Shop.
“Is anyone here?”
At my call, someone emerged.
It was Yeom In, the eldest son of Yeom Master Craftsman.
His second and third sons were currently in Shaanxi Province.
He recognized me and hurried over.
“Aren’t you the Small Merchant Guild Leader?”
“It’s good to see you. Thank you for visiting during my wedding ceremony.”
“Of course I had to come. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Is the Master Craftsman inside?”
“Yes, he is. Please come in.”
We stepped inside, and shortly after, Master Yeom appeared.
“Small Guild Master, you’ve arrived?”
“Thank you for congratulating me on my wedding.”
“Of course I had to come. Hahahaha.”
He continued speaking.
“Have you come to find the sword of that Ma Sun-bok Warrior?”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Master Yeom instructed his son, and soon the boy emerged carrying a wooden box.
“Here it is.”
He opened the box directly to show me.
From the scabbard to the blade, it was a jet-black sword, yet its appearance was utterly unremarkable.
The kind of sword you could buy anywhere on the marketplace street.
But I wasn’t deceived by appearances.
Master Yeom’s iron principle was to craft exactly according to the payment received.
“Since you provided generous compensation, I put in some extra effort.”
Master Yeom drew the sword from its scabbard.
Shing.
A silvery-white blade revealed itself, emanating spiritual energy in all directions.
Just as I thought! That’s more like it!
“Is this satisfactory?”
“Satisfactory? It’s a masterpiece blade!”
“Hahahaha. It’s not quite at the level of being called a masterpiece.”
He continued.
“Since Ma Sun-bok Warrior’s rank is still low, I deliberately made the appearance ordinary.”
That makes sense.
There’s no benefit in openly revealing that it’s a masterpiece blade.
“This blade will reveal its true nature only in Ma Warrior’s hands, and in anyone else’s hands, it will be merely an ordinary sword.”
“Yet it’s a masterpiece even now in your hands, Master?”
“Well, naturally—I am the craftsman who forged it. Even the most temperamental blade becomes docile before the artisan who created it.”
I see.
“Thank you for attending to the details I overlooked with such care.”
This is why experience cannot be dismissed.
Clack.
As he sheathed the sword, my Guard Warriors gazed at it with envious eyes.
There’s nothing to envy. Hehehehe.
“You’ve gone to great trouble.”
“Please, think nothing of it.”
Master Yeom placed the sword back in the box, and his son sealed it with cord.
I glanced at it and spoke.
“The truth is, while I came here to collect this blade, I also have another sword I’d like to commission.”
“My, business is booming.”
Seeing him smile as he said this, I could tell he was genuinely delighted, not being sarcastic at all.
“I’m thinking of having a sword made for each of my Guard Warriors here.”
At this, the Guard Warriors spoke up with surprised expressions.
“Ah, no, please don’t.”
“We’re fine as we are.”
But you were envious just a moment ago—why are you refusing now?
I looked at them and spoke.
“A master calligrapher doesn’t blame his brush, but it’s still true that better brushes produce better writing, isn’t it?”
“That’s true enough.”
“But we wanted to say that you don’t need to go to such lengths for us.”
I smiled wryly.
“If your weapons are superior, who benefits from it?”
“Sir?”
“I benefit, because you’re the ones protecting me. I’m preparing better weapons for you to ensure my own safety—how is that unreasonable on my part?”
At my words, they looked at me in silence.
“So don’t feel burdened by this.”
I turned my head back to look at Master Yeom.
“How about it? Seven swords total—six for my Guard Warriors and one for my wife’s guard here. Is it possible?”
“Of course it’s possible. More than possible.”
“Will you be making a sword for me as well?”
At the words of Kang Chung, my wife’s guard, I nodded firmly.
“Naturally. My wife’s safety is my safety.”
“Thank you.”
I spoke to Master Yeom.
“Ah, and I’ve brought the materials with me.”
“The materials… you say?”
Thud!
At my signal, Palgap set down the chest he’d been holding onto the table, and when Master Yeom opened that chest…
“Gasp!”
He fell backward on the spot.
Oh dear, Master! You mustn’t react like that!

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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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