Chapter 201
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 201
Chapter 201. Jin-ho's Spring (5)
Jin-ho tilted his head at my words.
“A play? What do you mean?”
I finished eating my dumplings, drank my tea, and explained to Jin-ho.
“The Cheonhyangroju I gave you is a fake.”
“I guess so.”
“But you got it, so won't the rumor spread?”
“Probably.”
Rumors spread quickly, as if there are ears on the walls.
That's why you spread false rumors to hide the truth, like hiding a tree in the forest.
Especially when it comes to Jin-ho's affairs, it's the best topic for gossip for those who like to talk about other people's business.
“Then how will people react to this?”
“They'll be glad that you found the medicine quickly?”
Of course...
That was exactly what I expected.
“No, there will definitely be people who are suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
“Yeah. Think about it. If you left home to find a miracle cure and came back with it in just one day, would you believe it easily?”
Only then did my brother seem to understand, and he nodded.
“That's true.”
“Of course, if it's a real miracle cure, there won't be any problem curing the illness, but there will definitely be questions about how you got it.”
“They might think that I already had the medicine or that it belonged to my family, right?”
“You're lucky if that's all they think. They might even say that we stole the medicine from someone.”
I sighed and said.
“You know as well as I do that there are many people who envy a trading company like ours that is growing so fast.”
“I know that very well.”
At first, people will think it's amazing that Jin-ho saved Miss Ha with the elixir.
But if those who have ill will toward the Eunhae Trading Company start raising suspicions, such as, “Was it really obtained by legitimate means?” or “Does the Eunhae Trading Company have a lot of elixirs hidden away?” it will become a real headache.
People are more interested in hearing, “There was a big fight last night,” than “They're living happily.”
There is a saying that three people can make something out of nothing.
The power of rumors is stronger than you think.
Considering how rumors caused sales of martial artist dolls to plummet in the past, this is no laughing matter.
And once a rumor starts, it takes a lot of time and money to fix it.
“That's why we need a play.”
I continued.
"A story that is so moving that someone who had malicious thoughts about your brother and Miss Ha will be shocked and blame themselves, saying, 'I'm a piece of trash!
Ha
Of course, if they had kept the secret from the beginning, there would be no need to go to all this trouble.
The problem is that Jin-ho did such a spectacular job.
With the whole neighborhood talking about it, Jin-ho has to bring back the magic potion to avoid becoming a laughing stock.
At the same time, he has to make it look so plausible that no one will raise any suspicions.
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“Yeah, just catch a crazy spiritual beast.”
“...What?”
It may sound like a random idea, but I had already thought of it on my way to find Jin-ho.
I even thought of a suitable villain.
Since we're doing this, we might as well do it in a spectacular way.
But Jin-ho.
Why are you looking at me like that?
It hurts my feelings.
.
.
.
I asked Geum-ryung to send a letter to my father.
I told him that I had found Jin-ho and that I would return home the day before my birthday party, so he shouldn't worry.
Most of the influential people in the neighborhood would be attending my birthday party.
If we can't stop the rumors, we can at least distort them.
The next morning.
We got ready to leave at dawn.
“So, there's a crazy spiritual beast at the foot of Bokryong Mountain?”
“Yes, that's right.”
We headed toward Bokryong Mountain. There is a spiritual beast there.
That spiritual beast is the villain in the play starring Jin-ho.
We are not hunting a spiritual beast that lives quietly and peacefully.
It just so happens that there is a spiritual beast nearby that we can take care of.
It is called the Blood Claw Tiger.
It is a tiger that craves blood.
Not only does it have claws that are much sharper and longer than other tigers, but it is also extremely agile.
Until now, it had lived by eating other animals, so it hadn't caused much damage.
However, in its previous life, the Jaegal Clan was destroyed, and the Martial Alliance searched all over Bokryong Mountain to investigate.
At that time, it devoured the warriors who entered its territory.
It seemed to like the taste of human flesh, so it began to attack the villages at the foot of the mountain.
In the end, it was only dealt with by the Martial Alliance after causing the deaths of over a hundred people.
It's funny.
The Martial Alliance caused the trouble, and in the end, it was the Martial Alliance that dealt with the spiritual beast.
Because of that, the leader of the Martial Alliance warriors earned the title of “Zhan Hu Jian Xiong” (Sword Hero Who Slayed the Tiger).
However, it was later revealed that he had sacrificed other warriors to weaken the tiger before killing it himself.
In any case, if he ever gets a taste of human flesh again, he will be a dangerous creature that could cause many casualties.
So, if we eliminate him in advance, we can prevent future bloodshed and restore Jin-ho's honor. It's a win-win situation.
Fortunately, even with Jin-ho's skills, he is a suitable opponent.
“By the way, how did you know that there was a spiritual beast on Bokryong Mountain?”
I smiled and replied.
“Geum-ryung told me.”
“Oh, you mean that weird pig?”
At Jin-ho's words, Geum-ryung protested, grunting from inside my sleeve.
I patted Geum-ryung and said,
“He's cute in his own way.”
“Yes, yes.”
After driving all day, we arrived at Bokryong Mountain. Then, I searched my memory and found a place where he might be.
Unlike tigers, which usually prefer rocky areas with plenty of sunlight, the Blood Tiger liked dark forests.
Fortunately, we found it quickly.
“There it is.”
I nodded at Seo Woo's words.
In front of us, a reddish-black tiger was staring at us.
“Jin-ho.”
“Huh?”
“Do your best. And don't worry. If you find yourself in trouble, Seo Woo and Jin Yu will help you.”
“No, it's okay.”
Jin Ho clutched the spear I had given him tightly.
“I think I can handle it myself.”
Jin-ho's face was filled with joy at meeting his worthy opponent, Hyukjoho.
As expected, Jin-ho is a martial artist born in heaven.
“Kyaaaah!”
Hyukjoho rushed at us, and Jin-ho swung his spear.
Kaang!
The sharp claws of the spear and Blood Bird collided, sending sparks flying.
Even though the shockwave was strong enough to shake the trees around us, Jin-ho's spear remained intact. The old master Yeom...
He made it well, considering how much I paid him.
While I was admiring his work, the battle between Jin-ho and Blood Bird continued fiercely.
Seo Woo muttered with a slightly surprised look on his face.
“The second captain is more skilled than I thought.”
“He's even better than I thought.”
“At that level... I think he'll reach his peak soon. It looks like he's on the verge of becoming one of the best.”
Seeing him in actual combat rather than practicing martial arts as usual, I could see Jin-ho's true abilities.
As far as I know, Jin-ho is already considered one of the best.
And in actual combat, Jin-ho showed that he was as good as a warrior who had just reached the peak of his abilities.
As expected, Jin-ho seemed to be strong in actual combat.
Then, should I have thought of a stronger spiritual beast?
No, no.
This is just part of the play, so there's no need to push yourself too hard.
Isn't there a saying in the martial arts world?
Hide 30% of your abilities.
“It's amazing that you're at this level even though you're not even 30 years old.”
Everyone nodded at Seo Woo's words.
I think Jin-ho grew much faster than in his previous life because he quickly found the right weapon for himself and trained accordingly.
Kung!
“Huff, huff, it's over!”
After about an hour, Jin-ho finally defeated Hyukjoho.
“Good job, Jin-ho. That was amazing. You defeated it all by yourself!”
In response to my words, Jin-ho looked at the spear and said, “I just had a feeling that I wouldn't lose.”
I chuckled and patted Jin-ho on the shoulder.
“Let's go now.”
.
.
.
The day before my birthday party.
I returned to the Trading Company early the day before.
It was a place where Jin-ho was supposed to be the center of attention, and if I was next to him, it would distract people.
And I had the role of a windbreaker.
I greeted those who came to my birthday party and casually said, “It's a nice day for tea. How about a cup of tea in the garden?”
“It's a nice day to have tea outside. Would you like to join me in the garden?”
“That sounds nice.”
There was a pavilion right next to the reception room, and from there, you could see the front gate clearly.
As expected, the Clan Head and Young Mistress Jaegal arrived from the Jaegal Clan.
However, the guests from the Sichuan Tang Clan were a little different from what I had expected.
Not only the Grand Master and Tang Zong, but also Tang Shu-bin, the young mistress, had come.
Are you giving up your role as a matchmaker?
Seeing them dressed in such fine clothes after wearing rags, I felt a little uncomfortable.
In any case, this was a gathering of the Jegal Clan, a powerful martial arts family, and the Sichuan Tang Clan.
It was an opportunity to make a good impression on them, so no one refused.
They climbed up to the pavilion with the guests and drank tea while chatting.
It was about time for Hyung-nim to arrive...
“Oh my god!”
“What is that?”
“Huh!”
People were surprised and panicked.
He's here.
I called out to Pal-gap, pretending I knew nothing.
“What's that noise?”
“I'll find out right away...”
“No, I don't think you need to go. They don't seem to be on guard, but rather confused. It looks like they know him.”
The head of the Jaegal Clan looked toward the gate and said, and I replied with a smile.
“Huh? It seems that my second brother has returned.”
“Oh! You mean the friend who ran away to find the elixir?”
The Elder must have heard the rumors, as he immediately recognized him.
“Yes, that's right. I was very worried when he left so suddenly…”
The Elder looked closely at him and tilted his head.
“You seem fine. But what did you bring with you? It looks like a tiger... Could it be a spiritual beast?”
“A spiritual beast?”
“Let's not stand here. Let's go see for ourselves.”
Man-gyeol moved first, and everyone followed him toward the gate.
I followed behind them, smiling to myself.
Elder Man-gyeol acted just as I expected.
My father must have been contacted, because he came out when we arrived.
He collapsed.
Jin-ho knelt in front of him.
“Father, I'm back.”
“...What happened?”
Jin-ho's body was covered in blood. Of course, it wasn't his blood, but the blood of the spiritual beast.
“It's a spiritual beast called Hyukjoho. I beheaded it and found the elixir it had been hoarding.”
Hearing this, the people surrounding us murmured in admiration.
“What? You really found the elixir?”
“Then it must be real! Look at that terrifying creature!”
“Wow, the second Captain is amazing! He beheaded that creature and found the real elixir!”
As I expected, people's reactions were heated.
At that moment, the Jaegal Clan Head and Elder Man-gyul, who had been slowly examining the spiritual beast, said.
“You stabbed it right in the vital spot.”
“It looks like a wound made by that spear. It must have been difficult to do it alone.”
“But there are no signs that anyone else touched it...”
“Huh... That's amazing.”
The two looked at each other and nodded. Now that the two of them had acknowledged it, no one else could say anything.
Of course, it was true that my brother had done it himself.
“Where did you catch this guy?”
Jin-ho answered Man-gyeol's question and looked at the head of the Jegal Family.
“Whether it's a magic potion or a spiritual beast, I believe the person who obtained it is its owner.”
“That's right.”
That was the truth in the martial arts world.
Judging from the look in Elder Man-gyeol's eyes, it seemed that he wanted the boy's body.
Hmm, how much should I ask for?
Anyway, the other protagonist of this play needs to appear soon.
“Captain Jin-ho!”
He appeared at just the right moment.
“Young Mistress!”
“Ah... Captain Jin-ho. Thank you so much for doing this for me...”
“It's only natural. Without you, my life would be meaningless.”
Seeing the two of them so emotional, everyone's eyes filled with tears.
In fact, Miss Ha already knew.
I had come back early to ask her what she wanted to do.
She also replied that she had feelings for Jin-ho and agreed to go along with my plan.
I smiled happily as I watched the two of them.
In fact, actors are also important in theater.
I was able to save Miss Ha's life and protect Jin-ho's honor and reputation, but this was all thanks to my brother's hard training.
That's why I was able to come up with this plan.
Of course, I went through some unnecessary trouble, but let's just think of it as a good thing.
I smiled bitterly and rubbed my nose.
Winter was coming, and the days were getting cold, but for my brother, spring had arrived.