The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 754

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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 754

Chapter 754. The Story Behind It (4)

The person the Lady pointed to was none other than Jin Bok-ju Young Master.
He was staring blankly at something, and we followed his gaze.
At the end of that gaze stood Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master.
Even I had to admit that she looked beautiful in her pristine white garments, which were quite elaborate.
“White suits Jegal So-gaju wonderfully.”
At the Lady’s words, I nodded in agreement.
“Yes. White is the symbol of the Jegal Family. So when there are official events, we tend to wear white clothing.”
“I see.”
This festival was being held under the leadership of the Jegal Family.
That’s why she had come out personally to the Marketplace Street where the festival was taking place.
While her guards were thoroughly protecting the area around her, since she herself was a Peak Martial Artist, she could venture out like this.
At that moment, the eyes of Jin Bok-ju Warrior and Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master met.
It was only a brief instant, but I could see her eyes trembling.
I immediately turned my head away.
Jin Bok-ju Young Master bit his lips and clenched his fists, his expression hardening as if he were steeling his resolve.
Meanwhile, Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master grew increasingly distant, and he gazed endlessly at her departing figure.
“I suppose I should help him after all, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes.”
The Lady nodded in agreement.
“But I’m concerned. Wouldn’t helping that Young Master be considered cheating?”
“Couldn’t you help him in a way that isn’t cheating?”
“Hmm, I suppose that’s true.”
I let out a bitter smile and spoke to Yeo Warrior.
“Yeo Warrior. Please tell Jin Young Master that I wish to see him briefly.”
“Understood. Where shall I bring him?”
“That Yonggak Pavilion up there would be perfect.”
After sending Yeo Warrior off, I headed toward the street stalls with the Lady.
No matter how urgent Jin Bok-ju Warrior’s situation was, I had to buy the Lady some fruit skewers before leaving.

A moment later.
I made my way to Yonggak Pavilion with the Lady.
Yonggak Pavilion was situated at a considerable height on Bok Ryong Mountain, and it earned its name because the location resembled where the horns of a prostrate dragon would be.
“It’s quite high up. Are you certain you’ll be comfortable making the journey together?”
The Lady answered my concerned question with a smile.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“The path isn’t treacherous, but it is rather steep.”
“I know. But I’m also training in martial arts, so this much is manageable.”
That’s true enough.
After all, she’s been cultivating martial arts alongside me.
“And wouldn’t it be better if I accompanied Hwi to avoid any questions about propriety?”
“Pardon?”
“If anyone says anything, we can simply claim we happened to meet while taking a stroll.”
In other words, she was climbing this mountain for my sake.
Grateful for her consideration, my heart inexplicably fluttered.
“Thank you, Lady.”
“Don’t mention it.”
She continued with a laugh.
“I’ll enjoy those fruit skewers.”
At her smile, my face flushed without my realizing it, and I quickly looked ahead.
It was that beautiful smile from when I first saw her.
Hmm, my steps feel unusually light.
And so we climbed the mountain path for a while before arriving at Yonggak Pavilion.
“How remarkable that a pavilion exists in such a place.”
“It was built long ago by one of the House Masters of the Jegal Family. He wished to rest here and gaze upon the scenery below the mountain, so he constructed it with his own hands.”
“With his own hands, you say….”
“Unwilling to trouble his subordinates, he personally carried each piece of material, or so the story goes.”
“Truly a remarkable man.”
“Thanks to his efforts, we can now sit comfortably and admire that beautiful landscape, can’t we?”
I gestured toward the view below.
The festival had illuminated countless red lanterns, making the scene even more breathtaking.
“It’s so beautiful. It was worth the climb.”
“Indeed it was.”
As we conversed while taking in the scenery below the mountain, I sensed movement behind us.
Turning, I saw the Yeo Eung-am Warrior arriving with Jin Young Master.
“You’ve come?”
“I heard… that you summoned me.”
“That’s correct. Please, be seated.”
He sat in the pavilion, and I immediately broached the main subject.
“First, I’d like to ask you something.”
“Do speak.”
“In this Martial Tournament, do you wish to win?”
“Why would you ask something so obvious?”
“Because I can lead Young Master Jin to victory.”
At my words, he sprang from his seat.
“Are you proposing cheating? I didn’t take you for that sort! Now I see the name Seon Hyeop Mi-rang was nothing but empty reputation!”
I chuckled softly and returned his words in kind.
“I didn’t take you for that sort either, but now I see you have quite the hasty temperament.”
At my words, he paused.
“However, I do appreciate your rejection of cheating. And I too despise such dishonesty.”
He sat back down with a reluctant expression.
“So you weren’t proposing cheating after all.”
“Had I been such a corrupt man, the Grand Patriarch would never have entrusted me with such an important role as judge.”
“….”
Jin Bok-ju Young Master closed his mouth, at a loss for words.
“In any case, I can lead Young Master Jin to victory.”
“Without cheating? There are many formidable competitors among this year’s participants—stronger than myself.”
“Then why did you come?”
“It is to abandon these feelings I harbor for Yu A… ahem, for Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master.”
The way her name slipped out instinctively suggested their connection ran deeper than I’d assumed.
“You’re participating in the Martial Tournament to renounce your love?”
At the Lady’s question, he sighed.
“I thought that only by losing in the tournament and witnessing her marry another could I truly let go.”
To renounce…
I posed a question to him.
“It seems your feelings for Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master are far shallower than I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“That you could abandon such feelings so easily over a single martial defeat.”
My sarcasm provoked him.
“A single martial defeat? This tournament determines the consort of the Minor Clan Master! Do not speak so carelessly! What could you possibly understand!”
“Those shabby clothes.”
“…!”
“Why do you wear such shabby garments despite being a scion of the Suak Jin Family?”
“That is… well…”
“Could it be that you yourself believe you are beneath the Jegal Minor Clan Master’s station?”
“…!”
He flinched at my words.
So my suspicion had struck true.
“Hah…”
He exhaled deeply, then spoke with an anguished expression.
“When I first met her, I didn’t know she was a member of the Jegal Family.”
Of course not.
During the Jegal Family’s Zamryong Journey, one could never reveal their connection to the Jegal Family.
“She was simply a resilient and beautiful Young Lady who refused to be broken by any hardship, no matter how severe. I lost my heart to her in that moment.”
He bit his lip.
“If I had known she was a Young Lady of the Jegal Family, I would never have given her my heart. My family is far too insignificant compared to hers.”
“….”
“Her goal is the prosperity of the Jegal Family. Therefore, the champion of this martial tournament must become her companion—a man who can truly benefit her family.”
He had written such passionate poetry in his introduction letter, yet now his words revealed something entirely different….
“That’s pathetic.”
“…!”
It was the Lady’s voice.
Those were exactly the words I wanted to say. Her comment felt like a weight had lifted from my chest.
But Jin Young Master didn’t seem to accept it that way.
“Don’t insult me. I’m doing my best to endure this as well!”
“Rather, it’s Jin Young Master who’s insulting Jegal So-gaju. To see her as that kind of woman! How disappointing!”
This too was what I wanted to say.
“Jin Young Master. Think back to how you saw Jegal So-gaju before.”
“….”
“That must have been her true, honest self. Do you really think someone like that would give up because of something as trivial as family barriers?”
After a long moment of hesitation, he finally forced himself to speak.
“…No, she wouldn’t.”
“Exactly. She wouldn’t.”
“Sigh… You’re right, Lady. I was pathetic. I was the one insulting her all along. I apologize.”
Only then did he seem to realize his mistake, and he clasped his fists in a bow, lowering his head.
But simply reflecting on it shouldn’t be the end of this.
“Jin Young Master. Why don’t you see this as an opportunity?”
“What?”
“As you yourself said, compared to the Jegal Family, the Suak Jin Family is merely a humble household.”
“….”
“Under normal circumstances, marriage to the Minor Clan Master of such a place? Would it even be possible?”
When I reminded him of that reality, he bit his lip and bowed his head deeply.
“Yet this Tamseo Martial Arts Tournament has been held. A place where only skill matters, not family. Shouldn’t you see this as your chance?”
I recalled the gleam in Jegal So-gaju’s eyes that I had witnessed earlier.
That trembling light in her gaze.
It was different from her usual expression.
The reason Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master hadn’t married until now was surely because of Jin Young Master standing before me.
But because they hadn’t confirmed each other’s feelings, they hesitated, and ultimately arrived at this point.
If Jin Young Master had actively expressed his heart and given Jegal Yu-ah Minor Clan Master certainty, they would never have come this far.
Still, this wasn’t a situation where I should blame Jin Young Master.
He bears the weight of his family, so he cannot help but consider reality.
But shouldn’t a person move forward with aspirations—like seeking a treasure map hidden within their heart?
If you give up prematurely, you gain nothing.
“Give Jegal So-gaju your confidence.”
“…How do you mean?”
“That is something you must decide for yourself.”
“….”
“But earlier, you said that winning the Martial Tournament would be difficult because there are many formidable competitors, did you not?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Why do you think so?”
“I beg your pardon?”
He turned the question back on me.
“I only said others were formidable because my own skills fall short. But if you ask why I think that way, what should I answer?”
“….”
There is no doubt about it.
Something is definitely there.
“I heard that when you encountered those men who insulted Jegal Yu-ah at the inn previously, you dropped your sword.”
“That is true.”
“Yet I could not understand it. From what I observed, Jin Young Master’s skill far surpasses theirs.”
“That is….”
Looking at his expression, he seems unaware that he is not fully unleashing his own strength.
“Yeo Eung-am Warrior.”
“Yes.”
“If it is not presumptuous, would you not exchange blades briefly with Jin Young Master?”
“I shall do so.”
I turned my head back toward Jin Young Master and spoke.
“Jin Young Master. If you wish to win the championship, exchange blades briefly with Yeo Eung-am Warrior here.”
“Understood.”
He nodded at my words, and the two moved to their positions.
Once I confirmed they were ready, I lowered the hand I had raised.
The duel begins.
Whoosh—
The wind swept across. They watched each other intently, searching for openings.
As they moved cautiously, circling with wariness, I sent a transmission to Yeo Eung-am Warrior.
– Please strike first.
Slash—!
At my transmission, Yeo Eung-am Warrior immediately took the offensive.
Clang—!
Their blades collided fiercely.
The fact that he blocked such a ferocious assault confirms my suspicion was correct.
Jin Young Master is a Peak Martial Artist.
Clang—! Clang clang—! Clang!
Successive strikes followed.
That was when it happened.
Clang—!
Under the Yeo Eung-am Warrior’s assault, Jin Bok-ju Young Master lost his grip on his sword, and I seized that moment without hesitation.
“…I concede.”
At Jin Bok-ju Warrior’s declaration of surrender, the Yeo Eung-am Warrior sheathed his blade and spoke.
“There’s definitely something amiss.”
The Yeo Eung-am Warrior, having crossed blades directly, seemed to have sensed the irregularity as well.
“That’s why you instructed me to test him in direct combat myself.”
“Yes, precisely.”
I nodded and approached Jin Bok-ju Warrior with a question.
“When you wield your sword, do you sense the flow of your inner energy?”
“Only faintly.”
Faintly?
That couldn’t be right. Given his level of mastery, it should never feel merely faint.
“Forgive me for a moment.”
I grasped his wrist and felt for his pulse.
“….”
I withdrew my hand from his wrist shortly after.
Seeing my expression grow grave, he asked cautiously.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“What astounds me more is that Jin Young Master has remained unaware of this problem all this time.”
“What problem could it be….”
“Your meridians are blocked. More precisely, your Governing Vessel is obstructed.”
The Eight Extraordinary Meridians do not directly affect the five organs and six bowels. Thus, even when blocked, one can survive without significant impediment.
However, they are vital meridians that aid the circulation of qi and blood through the Twelve Primary Meridians.
Among them, the Governing Vessel is the most critical.
This is because the Governing Vessel connects to other acupoints throughout the body.
When this pathway is obstructed, symptoms like those afflicting Jin Young Master manifest.
With qi and blood circulation severely compromised, he can only exert a fraction of his true power.
“You’re saying my Governing Vessel has been blocked?”
“Yes. You truly noticed nothing strange about it until now?”
He shook his head.
“Since it was this way from childhood, I believed it was natural.”
Since childhood?
From what I could discern, this was not congenital. If it were congenital, the blockage would have felt like a solid wall when I checked his pulse.
But his Governing Vessel now appeared as though filled with gravel and debris.
Someone had deliberately obstructed his meridian through deliberate intervention.
But I’ll look into that later.
“Then what should we do?”
“We’ll have to break through it.”
“B-but why are you rolling up your sleeves?”
“Unfortunately, the only way to unblock Jin Young Master’s sealed poison meridian is through the Chugung and Hyeolmun acupoints.”
The words sounded refined, but in truth, I was just going to beat him with infused energy.
“But why are your eyes gleaming like that….”
“That can’t be. You must be seeing things.”
No, I saw it clearly enough.
Truth be told, watching him dig himself into the ground alone looked so pathetic and pitiful that I wanted to give him a beating anyway—and now the opportunity had presented itself perfectly.

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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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