The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 748

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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 748

Chapter 748. As Expected (4)

It happened in an instant.
Hidden blades flew through the air and embedded themselves in the wall behind where the Buddhist Monks who had come with the Abbot Master were standing.
But that wasn’t all.
Screeeech.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Watch out, it’s falling!”
“Get back!”
The impact from the hidden blades had struck the wall with such force that it began to topple forward.
“Stop that wall!”
“Yes!”
My guards moved immediately at my command, catching the falling wall and preventing it from crashing down.
“Phew….”
Fortunately, no one was injured.
It was only natural that my guards couldn’t stop this, despite their skills being at peak level or beyond.
My guards’ duty was to protect me and the Lady, not others.
The problem was that I had also noticed it a moment too late.
In that time, Palgap quickly gathered wooden planks and nails, temporarily securing the wall so it wouldn’t fall again.
We couldn’t keep holding it indefinitely.
“By the way, where exactly did these hidden blades come from?”
I approached the wall where the blades were embedded and bit my lip.
I could sense a very faint aura of the Black Path mixed with blood energy.
Without question, it was the Sura Blood Sect.
If so, these hidden blades were likely fired with a specific purpose.
Just then, the Patrol Guard who had received the report arrived and began surveying the situation.
“These hidden blades… the color of their tips appears discolored, suggesting they’ve been coated with poison.”
“What?”
Those who had completed their investigation reported back from the surroundings.
“They say no fighting has occurred anywhere else.”
“Then….”
They didn’t voice it aloud, but they seemed to have judged the situation clearly.
As expected….
So there was a reason I had noticed the hidden blades a moment too late.
Previously, Jin Yu Warrior had told me that assassins of a certain level or above don’t just suppress their presence when attacking—they also suppress their killing intent before striking.
At that moment, Jin Yu Warrior sent me a telepathic message.
– I apologize. I should have noticed sooner.
– Not at all. Didn’t I also notice late? Besides, Jin Yu Warrior is a Guard Warrior assigned to protect me. I ask for nothing more than that.
I continued the silent transmission.
– Can you tell if there are any Assassins in this vicinity?
– There are none. They appear to have fled immediately after throwing the poisoned blades.
Yet something about Jin Yu Warrior’s expression seemed off.
I’d ask about that later.
The Lady had said something before this incident occurred.
That if Mujin Master didn’t rise quickly, I would suffer greatly.
If Mujin Master hadn’t gotten up at my urging, the monks wouldn’t have moved either.
The Great Master is not one to merely watch while monks face danger.
And since he wasn’t truly drunk, he would naturally have thrown himself forward to protect them, allowing a blade or two to slip through in the process.
Ordinary blades would be fine, but those blades were coated with poison.
If that poison incapacitated him, whose responsibility would his duties fall to?
Mine.
Phew, that was a close call.
I nearly suffered immensely, just as the Lady predicted.
I spoke to Mujin Master.
“Great Master, given the circumstances, we must return to the Jegal Family Estate at once. If we delay, we may lose your precious disciples.”
“Sigh… tsk tsk, this drunken monk helped with the drinking, yet you won’t assist me.”
Though he called himself a drunken monk, his eyes revealed considerable complexity.
“Let us depart.”
“Yes, Great Master.”
The monks moved at the Great Master’s lead, and I instructed my Guard Warriors.
“We return to the Jegal Family Estate. Maintain vigilant perimeter watch.”
“Understood.”
Thus we returned to the Jegal Family Estate.
.
.
.
Whether he had received a report on this matter, the Jegal Family Head came rushing over personally.
“I heard you were attacked by Assassins. Are you unharmed?”
At his question, Mujin Master waved his hand.
“We haven’t a scratch, so please do not worry.”
I also responded.
“We are fine. However, there is a concerning aspect to this matter.”
“What is it?”
“Someone views this Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament unfavorably, and I am concerned about them targeting the Judges. As you well know, the poisoned blades were aimed at where the Shaolin disciples were stationed.”
Had it not been for me, it would have been dangerous.
“Why would they target the other monks accompanying Mujin Master rather than the Great Master himself?”
“It would be too risky to target the Abbot Master directly.”
“I share that assessment. While one shouldn’t place different values on human lives, the consequences of harming Mujin Master versus other monks are simply not equivalent.”
In other words, they had chosen this approach to achieve their objective while minimizing the fallout.
“Should we conclude there’s no possibility the Abbot Master was the intended target?”
Someone posed the question, and I shook my head.
“That’s my assessment. If they possessed the skill to target the Abbot Master, he would have certainly noticed the attempt.”
“But wasn’t the Abbot Master drinking at the time?”
At this, Mujin Master chuckled and spoke.
“Even if I drank several measures of wine, you wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on my sleeve.”
“….”
Words brimming with confidence.
Yet no one present could refute them.
After all, the Abbot Master’s martial prowess was formidable indeed.
“What in the world was the purpose of such an act!”
I answered in response.
“Naturally, to halt the Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament, wouldn’t it be?”
“Hmm….”
The House Master, who had been contemplating briefly, spoke.
“We’ll need to tighten security around the Three Great Families and their surroundings. And I should ask the judges to refrain from going out until we reach an understanding.”
“I believe that’s the best course of action as well.”
With matters thus settled, I stroked Geumryeong inside my sleeve and reflected.
Whether it was when we first met today or in the marketplace street just moments ago, the Abbot Master had sensed Geumryeong’s presence.
I needed to ask how he had detected Geumryeong….
If those hostile to me or those of wicked intent could perceive Geumryeong’s existence, I would need to prepare accordingly.
“Abbot Master, might I visit you briefly and share a cup of tea?”
“Hmm?”
“I find that my mind and spirit would settle better after sharing tea with you. To be honest, I was quite startled by what happened earlier.”
At my lighthearted remark, the Abbot Master laughed and nodded.
“Let’s do that.”

I sent the Lady and the others away, taking only Jin Yu Warrior and Seo-woo Warrior with me to the Abbot’s Quarters.
“Please, sit.”
“Thank you.”
I entered the Abbot’s Quarters and took my seat, and the Abbot personally prepared tea for me.
“Drink.”
“I shall enjoy it.”
I lifted the teacup and examined the color of the tea.
A clear, pale jade green.
It wasn’t easy to achieve such a pristine and refined hue.
Then, savoring the subtle fragrance, I took a sip.
Delicious!
Ah, but that’s not what matters right now.
I nearly lost myself in the tea’s flavor and forgot the important matter at hand.
I set the teacup down.
At that moment, Mujin Master called out to me.
“Listen here, Eun Small Merchant Leader.”
“Yes, you called for me?”
“I’m grateful.”
The Abbot smiled warmly and raised his right hand in applause.
“Thanks to you, my innocent disciples were spared from injury.”
“I merely tried to dissuade you out of concern for your health, Master.”
The Abbot laughed at my words.
“Did you not know that what I was drinking was not alcohol?”
“Ah, was that so?”
“You’re quite evasive. Hehehehe.”
“But is it wise to speak such things? As they say, even walls have ears.”
“Don’t worry. No one outside this space will hear our conversation.”
Only then did I realize that this chamber was sealed by the Abbot’s inner energy.
At this level of cultivation….
But I understood that only Ilsim Master and Abbot Master had reached the Hwagyeong stage in Shaolin.
I suppressed a hollow laugh from escaping.
You called me evasive? Master, you’re far more evasive than I am.
“Why do you stare so?”
“It’s nothing. Today, your face shines with such radiance, like that of Buddha himself, that I found myself entranced without realizing it.”
“Ah, it must be because I have no hair.”
“….”
Ah, no, Master.
If you say such things, don’t I become utterly foolish?
“In any case, I shall not forget today’s assistance.”
“It’s nothing. You needn’t remember it.”
“That sounds more like a threat—if I forget, you won’t let it slide.”
Master Mujin….
This is the first time someone has bested me with words alone.
“Ahem, Master, I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about this creature.”
I withdrew Geumryeong from my sleeve and placed her on the table. Since you already know, it doesn’t matter.
“Squeak?”
Geumryeong gazed at Master Mujin.
“How did you come to notice this one?”
Master Mujin laughed at my question and spoke.
“Is that why you wanted to obtain tea from me to drink?”
“It may be trivial to you, Master, but it’s a rather important matter to me.”
“So it appears.”
Master nodded and extended his hand toward Geumryeong.
Geumryeong placed her front paw on the Master’s hand.
“Squeak.”
“This one is a guardian spirit creature, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s my understanding.”
“A guardian spirit creature isn’t something you can keep by your side simply because you wish to. You could say it’s truly a gift from heaven.”
“Squeak! Squeak!”
Geumryeong turned to look at me.
Do you see now how remarkable a being you have?
Today, Geumryeong’s pride seemed to swell even higher.
“However, nurturing that guardian spirit creature falls to the master. If the master lacks ability, even a guardian spirit creature will remain merely an ordinary spirit.”
Master Mujin chuckled softly.
“Looking at this one’s nature, it seems to sustain itself on wealth, and you’ve raised it well. Had you failed to provide proper funds, this creature would not have grown as it has.”
“I see.”
“Squeak….”
That wasn’t what you just said, so please forget it?
“I’ve always been fond of animals.”
“Pardon?”
What an unexpected thing to say.
“Not long after I entered Shaolin as a disciple, I found an injured animal in the forest and treated it. After that, whenever I encountered wounded creatures, I would heal them, and through them, I found solace.”
Master continued speaking.
“Through that, I gained enlightenment, and as a result, my sensitivity to the auras of animals became far more acute than others. The same applies to spirit creatures.”
Then, with a faint smile, he played with Geumryeong.
“Squeak! Squeak!”
Watching his practiced movements, I could see his words were true.
“So I simply noticed. Therefore, you needn’t worry that someone else might discover this creature.”
Ah, so you already knew what I was worried about.
Well, that’s a relief.
“I was spending pleasant time with the animals, but as my duties increased, I found myself lacking the time to care for them properly. During that period, a Spirit Creature gifted me a silk bracelet. Once I understood its function, a brilliant idea struck me immediately.”
Mujin Master’s expression turned playful.
“To become an incurable drunkard, so you wouldn’t bother me anymore?”
Ah, so that was it?
His pretense of drinking wasn’t because he genuinely loved alcohol—it was because he lacked the time to care for the animals.
Truly, he was quite an unusual person in many ways.
Yet I could tell he was absolutely not an evil man.
Animals possess keen instincts for detecting danger, after all.
Moreover, if he were truly evil, Geumryeong wouldn’t be playing so contentedly on the Master’s finger, swinging his tail about like that.
“I was spending time in such comfort when a letter arrived from the Jegal Family requesting that I serve as a judge for the Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament. Unfortunately, among those of sufficient caliber at that time, I was the only one idle, so here I am.”
The Master continued with a bitter expression.
“Yet to think of such an attack… It seems this Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament won’t proceed smoothly.”
“I share that sentiment.”
.
.
.
After concluding my conversation with the Master, I headed toward my quarters.
Identifying the hidden participant in this Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament was already giving me a headache, and now there was someone threatening the judge…
But wait, something feels off about this.
The objectives of the hidden participant in the tournament and whoever is threatening the judge seem contradictory.
For the hidden participant to achieve their goal, the judge needed to remain unharmed.
Otherwise, the tournament wouldn’t proceed as planned.
The assassins targeting the Shaolin disciples would be an obstacle from the hidden participant’s perspective.
This suggests the two are likely not working together toward the same goal.
Why is that?
Could it be there’s no spy among the tournament participants?
Are they trying to prevent the tournament from being held altogether?
But wouldn’t winning the tournament and becoming Jegal Yu-ah’s consort be the most ideal outcome for them as well?
Or… are there multiple factions at play?
These bastards…
They’re making this confusing.
As I organized and analyzed this complex situation, I arrived at my quarters.
That’s when it happened.
“My lord.”
Jin Yu Warrior was regarding me with a grave expression.
“Speak.”
“I’ve deliberated, but I believe I must inform you of something.”
“What is it?”
“I’m referring to the attack at the street tavern earlier.”
“Yes.”
“The Assassin who carried out that deed… I believe it may be someone I know.”

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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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