The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 750

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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 750

Chapter 750. As Expected (6)

I straightened my posture and examined the documents carefully.
Among the papers before me was Jin Bok-ju’s personal introduction form.
He was twenty-five years old, one year my senior.
For someone to remain unmarried at an age when marriage was typically expected spoke volumes—there had to be a reason.
Jin Bok-ju was indeed from Uichang, as he had claimed.
The eldest son of the Suak Jin Family, which was based in Uichang.
The Suak Jin Family was one of the renowned martial clans of Hubei Province. Though their influence had waned considerably in recent times, they remained a household name throughout Hubei.
They had suffered grievous losses in their conflict with the Blood Sect, and with skilled martial artists in such short supply, they had yet to fully restore their former strength.
Yet their reputation remained undiminished compared to any of the other participants here.
With such a respectable family background, why had he been dressed in such shabby clothes?
And despite his cultivation reaching its peak, why had he lost his sword when a quarrel broke out in the inn’s dining hall?
The questions multiplied.
I would need to investigate this matter more thoroughly.
His hobbies listed cultivating flowers.
And in the section for freely written remarks, a verse of poetry had been inscribed.

If you and I are truly bound by fate,
Heaven shall send magpies to weave our thread.
But should fate decree we are not meant to be,
I shall create ten thousand magpies to reach you.

It was a poem filled with sincere emotion.
At this level, one could say his hobby wasn’t merely cultivating flowers, but composing poetry itself.
Yet something about this poem felt laden with meaning.
To write such verses implied that the connection and feelings involved were far from ordinary.
Sigh…
– Squawk! Squawk!
See? Even Geumryeong’s frustrated about it.
– Squawk!
So you’re saying your frustration is burning so hot you need to eat some Eun Ja to calm down?
That’s quite the excuse you’ve come up with.
– Squawk…
Sigh. Fine, fine. I’ll give you some later.
– Squawk!
I really do have too soft a heart.
I sipped my tea and flipped through the documents.
As I examined several self-introductions, my hand suddenly froze.
“….”
I felt the aura of the Sura Blood Sect emanating from the document in my hand.
As expected, they’ve submitted their application too.
Hak Cheong-jun from Yulrim County, Anhui Province….
He’s also twenty-five, but his birthday is two months earlier than mine.
Now that I think about it, my birthday is coming up soon.
I examined the document carefully, then asked the Wudang Sect Elder.
“Excuse me, Elder.”
“What is it?”
“If someone falsifies their place of origin on the application, that results in document rejection, correct?”
“Of course. Isn’t it written right there?”
The Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament had a document rejection system for various reasons.
Among them, falsifying one’s place of origin was grounds for document rejection.
It could be a mistake, but it suggested something was amiss.
To address this, the Jegal Family had even prepared a comprehensive list containing the names of every region and village throughout the Empire.
“May I see the village registry for a moment?”
I scanned through the Anhui Province registry and searched for Yulrim County.
It didn’t exist.
I picked up the stamp beside me and pressed it firmly onto the document with a decisive thud.

[Document Review: Rejected]

* * *

With the Jegal Family’s Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament approaching, Bokryong Mountain Lower Village, where the Jegal Family resided, buzzed with anticipation.
Among the establishments there stood a tavern.
Inside, a man sat drinking alone.
He wore robes of jade silk—fine, expensive fabric—and his bearing was equally striking.
He possessed the kind of beauty that made women unable to look away.
He swept his long hair back from his face, then lifted his cup with melancholic eyes toward the moon and drained it in one long draught.
“Oh my….”
“Ah….”
The women watching him exhaled sighs of admiration.
Most had withdrawn to safer distances, but a few remained—women with the strength to protect themselves.
Among them were female martial artists belonging to the Jegal Family.
He basked in their attention.
‘Heh! As expected, seducing women is the easiest thing in the world! Hehehehe.’
Then a man approached him.
“Young Master, perhaps we should finish up and depart now.”
“No, let’s stay a while longer. The moon is particularly beautiful tonight—it reminds me of her eyes.”
“….”
I could feel the warrior I’d brought cursing me silently, but I let it pass.
After all, he knew my true nature.
I was known as the Jade-Faced Libertine, and though I should have sent one of those raised in Samnammu Village, I’d decided to participate in this Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament myself, driven by ambition to become the Jegal Family’s son-in-law.
For this tournament, I’d submitted my documents under the name Hak Cheong-jun.
And I’d filled in my personal information, including my place of origin, with fabricated details.
The rules stated that false information would result in disqualification, but I paid it no mind.
The Empire contained hundreds of counties, and Anhui Province alone had dozens.
‘With so many participants, how could they possibly verify everyone?’
I drained another cup of wine.
Outwardly, I maintained the appearance of a melancholic beauty, but beneath the surface, my true nature stirred.
As the alcohol warmed my blood, the Jade-Faced Libertine’s instincts began to awaken.
Hmm, where might I find a suitable woman?
With such thoughts, I pretended to toast the moon while casually surveying my surroundings.
“Welcome!”
Three Shop Attendants rushed forward to greet a group that had just arrived.
A party of roughly thirteen or fourteen women.
Judging by the Guard Warriors surrounding them, these were women of considerable status.
Which meant they possessed considerable wealth.
I ran my tongue across my lips.
Since my specialty lay in seducing women and extracting their money, their appearance mattered little to me.
Beauty was pleasant, certainly, but wealth was far more valuable.
‘Shall I choose one of those women?’
Surely, once a drink or two had loosened their inhibitions, one or two would excuse themselves for fresh air.
That was when I planned to make my move.
I sent a silent message to the Warrior before me.
– You’re running an inn here too, aren’t you? Reserve a room for me in advance.
The Warrior nodded at my words and moved to comply.
I felt some pity for the woman who would become the Jade-Faced Libertine’s victim this time, but if she dared to defy him, she’d be beaten to a pulp.

Time passed in this manner.
The atmosphere seemed pleasant, and I could hear the cheerful voices of women from upstairs.
The Jade-Faced Libertine withdrew a vial of aphrodisiac from his pocket and poured it into a wine bottle.
Then he rose from his seat, took the wine bottle and cup, and headed toward the pavilion.
Soon a woman would come to this place.
Since he had done this more than once or twice before, he brimmed with confidence.
“Huh….”
Just as he expected, a woman stumbled out of her room and approached the railing.
The Guard Warrior and Maidservant followed behind her, but they were little more than puppets unable to act against their mistress’s will.
They could only intervene in truly dangerous situations.
But to anyone’s eyes, his face appeared harmless.
“My, you seem quite intoxicated.”
“Who….”
“Ah, forgive me.”
The Jade-Faced Libertine apologized in a gentle voice.
“Your beauty captivated me, and I found myself speaking without thinking.”
“Young Lady? No, that’s not right. Despite my appearance, I have a child.”
“Ah, is that so? I apologize.”
“It’s fine.”
The Jade-Faced Libertine smiled upon learning her identity.
If she was a married woman, he could threaten to tell her husband and extort even more money from her.
“The moon is truly beautiful tonight.”
“Yes, it is.”
“On nights like this, I find myself thinking of her eyes.”
“…?”
The Jade-Faced Libertine continued, his eyes filled with melancholy.
“I had a betrothed. But she passed away. Still, I cannot forget her.”
“How tragic….”
“Yet today, seeing you, your eyes reminded me so much of hers that I spoke without thinking. Please, do not blame me for this.”
“Bonds of fate are not easily forgotten. How could I fault you for such a thing?”
The Jade-Faced Libertine laughed bitterly to himself.
‘She’s almost completely fallen for it.’
Ordinary people naturally felt compassion for those who appeared wounded.
Combined with his handsome appearance and the atmosphere he cultivated, he had already secured eighty percent of his conquest.
Moreover, he employed a technique called honeyed words that captivated listeners, giving him an exceptionally high success rate.
He offered her a wine cup.
“If you don’t mind, would you care to share a drink with me?”
“Pardon?”
“Seeing a lady who resembles her, I simply cannot help but ask. Please, refuse if it troubles you.”
“A single cup should be fine.”
The moment she accepted the cup without hesitation, the Maidservant following behind spoke up.
“My lady, you mustn’t drink so carelessly.”
“It’s fine. Surely this gentleman wouldn’t try anything untoward.”
The wine contained a love potion.
A potion crafted by the Jade-Faced Libertine himself, effective only on those already ensnared by his honeyed words.
Drinking wine laced with this potion would cause one to surrender their heart to the opposite sex before them.
This was the secret technique that allowed the one called the Jade-Faced Libertine to boast an overwhelming success rate and evade capture until now.
It was at that moment.
“Sister! What are you doing here?”
“Hmm?”
A voice calling to her from behind.
A woman in a yellow dress approached.
“Everyone’s been looking for you. It’s your turn to sing now.”
“Oh my, is it?”
And the moment the woman in yellow drew near and grasped her wrist.
“…!”
The lady’s previously vacant eyes, which the Jade-Faced Libertine had been manipulating, suddenly regained their light.
Simultaneously, her mind cleared.
Realizing her situation, she turned to the Jade-Faced Libertine and spoke.
“I’m afraid I cannot join you for a drink.”
“….”
The Jade-Faced Libertine realized his honeyed words had been broken.
‘How… how is this possible?’
He was considerably flustered.
His honeyed words were not something that should shatter so easily.
While he stammered in confusion, the women retreated back inside.
Tap.
Two Guard Warriors approached and spoke to him.
“I’m sorry, but this is a restricted area. Please leave.”
“….”
Having never experienced such a thing before, he could only allow himself to be led away in a daze.
When he came to his senses, he stood outside the tavern.
“Damn it! It was all but done!”
He erupted in frustration and cursed. The failure was that shocking to him.
The women who had been gazing at him with admiration felt their eyes grow cold.
“Sigh… Perhaps this is Heaven’s will, telling me to focus on my true mission and ignore the distractions around me.”
The Jade-Faced Libertine spoke to the Warrior behind him.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
.
.
.
The next day.
The Jade-Faced Libertine purified himself through ritual bathing and dressed impeccably.
The results of the document screening would be announced after lunch today.
To convincingly portray ‘the unfortunate man who lost his betrothed but stepped forward in the martial tournament for his family’s honor,’ a presentable appearance was essential.
After a simple lunch of noodles, he made his way to the document screening announcement venue.
He proceeded to the Martial Arts Arena, the site of the document screening announcement, accompanied by the Warrior he kept as a servant.
Countless people had already gathered there.
Then someone ascended onto the Martial Arts Arena.
“I am Mujin of Shaolin Temple.”
“Ohhh!”
“Is that the Great Master known as the Wine-Loving Immortal?”
As the crowd murmured, Mujin Master spoke.
“Now then, I shall announce the results of the document screening.”
A group of martial artists emerged carrying wooden boards with papers attached and placed them in front of the Martial Arts Arena.
“The east, west, and south sides display those who passed! The north side shows those who failed!”
Joy and sorrow mingled among the scattered crowds.
“Ha, I passed!”
“Phew! Thank goodness! I didn’t fail the document screening!”
“Ugh! Why did I fail!”
“This… this can’t be!”
Among those who had failed, some protested toward Mujin Master on the arena.
“Why did I fail!”
“What is your name, applicant?”
“It is Eun Seok.”
At this, a handsome man in the pavilion behind retrieved the documents and called out.
“Are you perhaps from Jinzhen County, Hebei Province?”
“That’s correct!”
“Sigh… There is no Jinzhen County in Hebei Province. And as I mentioned, falsifying your place of origin results in disqualification.”
“…”
At those words, the Jade-Faced Libertine turned toward the north side with an anxious expression.
He had just remembered that he had written his place of origin carelessly.
And sure enough, his name—Hak Cheong-jun—was listed there.
The document review had resulted in a rejection.
“Nooooo! This can’t be!”

* * *

Beneath the pavilion, a man clutched his head and wailed in despair.
This aura—tainted with blood energy, bearing the mark of the Black Path.
The Merchant.
The Lady beside me spoke.
“My, I saw that man yesterday.”
“You did?”
“Yes, after we finished viewing the autumn leaves, when we were dining at the tavern. He was making advances toward the Lady I’d agreed to treat as a sister.”
“Is that so?”
“So I forcibly brought him along. I could see his future was headed toward ruin otherwise.”
She didn’t merely guess—she had seen it with her own eyes.
The Myeong-jong Warrior spoke from behind.
“Still, he does have a handsome face. There’s an attractive mole beside his eye.”
“Pardon?”
Lady Xiang Mei expressed her doubt.
“That man has no mole like that at all.”
“….”
The Lady could perceive what was hidden. In other words, that face was not his true face.
“Lady, what does that man’s face actually look like?”
She described his true features to me in detail.
Upon hearing this, I quietly approached the House Master.
“What is it?”
“Arrest that man sitting on the ground wailing.”
“What? Arrest him?”
“He is the Jade-Faced Libertine.”
Before my words had even finished, someone standing on the pavilion shot forth like an arrow.
Thud—!
Ouch… that must have hurt quite a bit.

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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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