Chapter 139
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 139
Chapter 139. Meeting of the Hundred Trading Companies (1)
I returned to my private quarters.
“Are you all right?”
“Huh?”
“You seem worried.”
I tilted my head at Pal-gap's words.
I was not someone who couldn't control my expressions.
Noticing my confusion, Pal-gap said,
“Your left eyebrow is drooping as low as an ant's hind leg.”
He noticed that? He's more observant than I thought.
However, I couldn't tell him what was really worrying me, so I made up an excuse.
“I'm going to the meeting of the 100 Trading Companies with my father, so of course I'm worried.”
“Are you going to the meeting?”
“Yes. It's a gathering of the captains of the 100 Trading Companies, so I feel a lot of pressure.”
“I don't think you need to feel pressured. You are a talented young master, so why would you feel pressured?”
Seo Woo, who was also in my room, chimed in.
“I agree with Pal-gap. Frankly, what our Liege has accomplished so far is impossible for ordinary people. So I'm sure you will do well at the meeting.”
.
.
.
Time passed quickly.
Pal-gap, the bodyguards, and others around me encouraged me, but my worries did not easily disappear.
It wasn't the meeting itself that bothered me, but the people from the Martial Alliance and the captain of the Baekcheon Trading Company that I would meet there.
However, I couldn't tell anyone else about this.
So, I just suffered in silence.
It had already been four years since I traveled back in time, but I could still clearly remember the image of Namgung Kang, the captain of the Baekcheon Trading Company, slitting my throat.
I could remember Jin-ho's severed head, as well as the miserable deaths of my bodyguards and Pal-gap, who had followed me.
That was why I wasn't confident that I would be able to control my emotions when I met Namgung Kang.
I might even let my killing intent show without realizing it.
Am I worrying too much?
In my previous life, I lost my mind when I saw Jin-ho's severed head.
Normally, no matter how angry I was, I never lost my mind.
I think I am calmer now than I was then, but I can't be sure because of what happened.
If I cause harm to our Trading Company, all my preparations will be in vain.
This won't do.
No matter how much I think about it, there is only one answer.
I am not yet ready to meet the captain of the Baekcheon Trading Company in the courtyard of the Martial Alliance.
I must ask my father to go with Jin-ho.
At that moment, Pal-gap spoke behind me.
“Isn't that the elder from the general store?”
“Huh?”
Behind the Eunhae Trading Company, there was a small path that was perfect for walking.
It was now well into autumn, and the weather was cool, making it a pleasant time for a stroll.
I was taking a walk to clear my confused mind.
Pal-gap's voice brought me back to my senses, and I looked ahead.
The old man from the general store was walking toward me.
I quickly bowed to him.
“Greetings, Elder.”
“Oh, what brings you here? You're usually so busy.”
“Well, I just wanted to get some fresh air... But what brings you here, Elder?”
“I heard that rock honey is good for your health, so I'm picking some.”
Come to think of it, the old man from the general store was carrying a box, which was clearly filled with rock honey.
With this much rock honey, bees would probably be swarming around it...
Who am I worrying about?
The old man at the general store was famous for his sharp tongue. He must be a master at what he does.
“But I guess your walk didn't refresh you.”
The old man at the general store continued.
“Sweet things are the best for changing your mood. Come with me. I'll make you a cup of honey water with rock honey.”
“Will you charge me?”
The old man smiled at my question.
“Not this time. Just come with me, young man.”
.
.
.
A moment later
I entered the old man's general store.
The old man made some honey tea with freshly picked rock honey and served it to me.
He also gave a cup each to Pal-gap and the bodyguards who had followed me.
“Thank you.”
“I will enjoy it.”
The Yeong-eung martial artist seemed impressed by the honey tea he received from his senior martial artist.
I picked up the teacup and took a sip of the honey tea.
Ugh, it's so sweet...
He must have put so much honey in it that it tasted like pure honey.
But thanks to that, I felt my mood lighten.
Was that why?
I asked the old man a question.
“Elder, if you were in a situation where you had to meet your sworn enemy at his house, what would you do?”
“Huh? Why do you ask?”
“I just wondered what you would do, so I asked. You don't have to answer.”
“You ask a question and don't want an answer. Are you making fun of me?”
“No, it's just...”
“Are you asking if you should avoid the encounter or just meet him?”
“....”
“If it were me, I would just go and meet him.”
“What?”
“Being sworn enemies means that you have a strong hatred for each other. But if you can show that hatred so easily, then I don't think you are sworn enemies.”
“What?”
“It means that your feelings are not that strong.”
“...”
“Being sworn enemies means that you want revenge, right? They say that revenge taken after ten years is not too late. That means that in order to get perfect revenge, you have to endure and endure.”
The old man paused for a moment before continuing.
“Is that enough of an answer?”
“Yes. You mean I should be patient.”
“That's true, but in my case, I'm very excited to meet someone like that.”
“What?”
Excited to meet your enemy? I didn't understand what he meant and tilted my head.
The old man smiled at me.
“It's because I'm not a very nice person. When I heard that his plan had failed, I imagined the look on his face, and it made me excited. Hehehe.”
Those words made me think of something.
Come to think of it, there was something I could get in Luoyang around this time.
To be more specific, there were things I could get.
One of them was something that Baekcheon Trading Company had thrown away.
They threw it away because they thought it was useless, but it was actually a treasure.
If they later realized that it was a treasure that should not have been thrown away, wouldn't Baekcheon Trading Company feel extremely bitter and regretful?
So that's what the old man meant by “excited.”
The old man said he was excited because he had a bad personality, but in fact, I don't have a good personality either.
Thinking about the things I could get in Luoyang, I began to feel very excited.
The fact that I had to meet the captain of the Baekcheon Trading Company, who had killed me, in front of the Martial Alliance felt like quite a burden.
I had forgotten that I had a powerful weapon in that I knew the future.
I chuckled.
The thing I had been worrying about just a moment ago was solved in an instant!
As expected, the old man with the scar on his face is definitely the advisor of our Trading Company.
With that thought in mind, I took a sip of the remaining honey tea.
“Ugh!”
“What's wrong?”
“Why did you put so much honey in it?”
The old man yelled.
“You're going to scold me even if I give it to you? If you don't want it, give it back. You brat! That's a hundred-year-old honeycomb...”
I quickly covered the teacup with my hand and said.
“You can't take it back after giving it to me!”
* *
The old man at the general store watched Eun Seo-ho walk away.
Unlike earlier, his steps seemed very light.
The old man glanced at Eun Seo-ho's teacup.
“He's going to drink it all...”
It seemed as if fate was at work when he happened to meet Eun Seo-ho just as he was picking rock honey.
"Cheolcheonjiwon...
He also had a Cheolcheonjiwon.
It was the man who tried to kill his close friend and his Liege, the current emperor.
Suddenly, he remembered hitting the back of that man's head, and he smiled.
It felt really good.
But that was in the past.
Now, that man was dead.
He knew that Eun Seo-ho was going to Luoyang.
And he thought he knew who Eun Seo-ho was referring to as his sworn enemy.
“It must be the Martial Alliance.”
The letter the emperor had sent him contained speculation about the relationship between the Martial Alliance and Eun Seo-ho.
“To be precise, it must be the Baekcheon Trading Company, which is led by the Martial Alliance.”
Other than that, he had no connection with the Martial Alliance.
Even the old man at the general store knew about the Baekcheon Trading Company.
It was one of the five largest trading companies in the world, so it was impossible not to know about it.
And because he was the emperor's right-hand man, he knew something else.
That was that the Baekcheon Trading Company's goal was not money.
Although they seemed to be fulfilling their duties as a trading company, they sometimes acted in ways that were difficult to understand.
He smiled wryly.
Fortunately, his advice seemed to be helpful to Eun Seo-ho.
As soon as he heard his words, Eun Seo-ho smiled the same smile he used to smile in the past.
He was looking forward to seeing what kind of mess he would make in Luoyang this time.
“This is why I can't leave this place.”
* *
It was time to leave for Luoyang.
As it was a meeting of the 100 greatest trading companies in the world, a very luxurious carriage was prepared to maintain their dignity.
My father didn't like dressing up, but there was nothing we could do.
I knew from attending in my previous life that the others would dress more extravagantly than us.
Rumors would spread in an instant that a trading company was struggling if its members didn't surround themselves with expensive items.
So, even if it was just to show that the trading company was still going strong, there was no choice.
I finished getting ready and headed for the carriage.
The bodyguards also had to attend the meeting, so they wore different clothes than usual.
“These clothes must be quite expensive... I feel uncomfortable wearing them, I don't think I can swing my sword. Hahaha.”
Lee Pil laughed at Yeo Eung-am's remark.
“Hyung-nim, now that I look at you, you seem to have a smaller liver than I thought.”
“What are you talking about? My liver is small?”
“You will have many opportunities to wear clothes like this in the future, so it would be better to get used to them in advance.”
“Still, one suit of clothes costs a month's salary!”
"The status of our Liege depends on what we wear. It is to subtly show that even those who serve him are dressed in silk."
I chuckled at their conversation.
Lee Pil was from the Sichuan Tang Clan. Although he was hungry and had endured many hardships, he had received a high-class education and lived a seemingly glamorous life.
That was why he understood these things well.
“You are right, Lee Pil. So please bear with it a little longer, even if it is uncomfortable.”
“No, it's not uncomfortable!”
Yeo Eung-am waved his hand.
“Silk is so soft and comfortable to move in.”
Silk was durable and strong, making it good for defense, and it was made to be comfortable for warriors to move in, so it would not be uncomfortable to use weapons.
The only problem was the psychological burden.
Seeing that Yeo Eung-am's expression was still uncomfortable, it seemed that his psychological burden had not been relieved.
“Yeon Moo-sa.”
“Yes!”
“Are the clothes you are wearing now more expensive than my life?”
“They cannot be compared.”
“That's right. They cannot be compared.”
I smiled and continued.
“If you can't swing your sword because you feel sorry for the silk clothes, who will protect my life?”
“Ah!”
At my words, the female warrior quickly clasped her hands together.
“I was short-sighted.”
“It's okay. I understand. To be honest, I think it's a waste too.”
I smiled and continued.
“But it can't be helped. The meeting is a battlefield, and these clothes are armor. So don't feel burdened.”
We soon arrived at the train.
A short time later, my father and mother also arrived.
It was customary for the heads of the 100 Trading Companies to attend the meeting with their spouses.
There was even a separate gathering for the wives of the heads of the Trading Companies.
Not only my father, but my mother also dressed in fine silk clothes.
“We are ready to depart.”
As all the heads of the Trading Companies were leaving, a large number of guards were assigned to escort them.
Chief administrator Go Il-pyeong took charge, and two teams were selected from the Eunpungdae.
Seeing this, Seo Woo was impressed.
“Chief administrator Ilgeomjin and two teams from the Eunpungdae! I wonder if we will have anything to do this time.”
I laughed at his words.
My guards will have a lot to do this time.
While I'm in Luoyang, I plan to take everything I can get my hands on.
I'll even pick up what the Baekcheon Trading Company left behind.
In other words, we're going to raid the Martial Alliance's front yard.
Until recently, I was worried, but thanks to the advice of the old man at the general store, I'm not anymore.
I was very excited when I thought about what I would get.