Chapter 259
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 259
Chapter 259. Luoyang Again (3)
The fake Captain Bok-Yoon flinched at my words.
Then someone asked,
“But do you have any proof that he is a fake?”
I could sense his energy, so I knew he was a fake.
However, the others did not know because they had not mastered martial arts to that level.
Furthermore, even someone who had reached the peak of their skills would not have noticed his exquisite disguise unless they looked closely.
I also think I know why he targeted Captain Bok-Yoon.
The Gwang-Joon Trading Company is located in the distant province of Yingling, so they did not have much contact with the local people.
Therefore, there was no one who could sense that something was wrong.
Although his parents were there, they were busy talking with other captains, so they didn't notice anything.
Then what about the bodyguards?
It is an unspoken rule that bodyguards are not allowed to enter the banquet hall.
Instead, security guards hired by the host were standing everywhere.
In any case, there is enough evidence for others to recognize that he is a fake.
We didn't do this without thinking it through.
“Captain Bok-Yoon already told me the secret to protecting the silver plate. So, shouldn't you say something other than asking for the secret?”
“That was just to lighten the mood...”
“Let's say that's true. But your hands are too delicate. You rode all the way here from the north. Your hands should be rough.”
Even if he wrapped his hands in cloth to prevent them from getting hurt, there was a limit to what he could do.
“Did you think I would fall for that? You came by carriage, so of course...”
With a frown on his face, the head of the trading company shouted at us in an angry voice.
“What do you mean, a carriage? Yoon came on horseback!”
“...!”
What a sophisticated disguise, even my father couldn't recognize him...
He's as talented as Chun-il.
But he didn't do his research well enough.
* *
Kwang-joon, the head of the Trading Company, glared at the despicable man who looked like his son.
From his words, he knew that he was not his son.
Bok-yoon rarely rode in carriages because he got carsick.
Only a few people knew that.
If this man was not his son, then where was his real son?
The thought made his blood run cold.
He spoke to In-gang-soo, the head of the Seobin Trading Company, who had hosted the banquet.
“Please allow me to bring in the bodyguards.”
“Of course.”
Bok-im-gil immediately called the bodyguards who were waiting outside.
“Handcuff him immediately and remove that hideous mask!”
“Yes!”
They handcuffed the fake Captain Bok-Yoon and removed the mask from his face.
Zzzzz!
Some blood flowed as they mercilessly removed the mask, but no one paid any attention to it.
Sure enough, the face revealed beneath was completely different.
“What did you do to my son?”
Shivering, he replied to Bok Im-gil's icy shout.
“I didn't kill him! I just tied him up and threw him in the warehouse.”
“What!”
Pock!
“Guh!”
Bok-im-gil swung his fist at him, and he rolled on the floor.
Watching this with cold eyes, Bok-im-gil ordered his bodyguards.
“Let's go to the warehouse!”
“Yes!”
But he felt that something was missing.
Eun Seo-ho, who had been beside him just a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.
If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have noticed that this man was pretending to be his son.
He felt ashamed for glaring at him, thinking that he was hurting his own son.
“But where is Mister Eun?”
“He went that way earlier.”
* *
I'm running to the warehouse.
I had been here many times in my previous life, so I knew the layout well.
That's why I knew that the only place to hide Captain Bok-Yoon was in the warehouse.
Of course, it would be difficult for me to do it alone, so I decided to ask Captain Sa-Gang for help, and he readily agreed.
He is the captain of the Hongryeon Trading Company, which supplies weapons to the imperial family.
And to make weapons, one must have a thorough understanding of them.
The best way to understand weapons is to learn martial arts.
He also learned martial arts and is a man of few words, to the point of being taciturn.
I asked him for help because I knew what kind of situation Captain Bok-Yoon would be in.
My guess was right, and as we approached the warehouse, I could feel Captain Bok-Yoon's presence.
The warehouse was locked with a padlock, but Captain Sa-Gang kicked the door open.
Bang!
The door was smashed in one blow.
Seeing this, I realized that Captain Sa-Gang was quite strong.
Come to think of it, he said that in order to become the successor of the Hongryeon Trading Company, one must work as a blacksmith for over ten years and earn the respect of the other blacksmiths.
“Captain Bok-Yoon! Are you here?”
“Ugh! Ugh!”
At that moment, I heard someone groaning, and I immediately rushed over.
“....”
I soon found Captain Bok-Yoon, but he was in a terrible state.
His hands and feet were tied to a pillar, he was gagged, and he was wearing only his underwear.
Seeing him like that, I felt anger rising again.
How dare they do this to my friend?
Suppressing my anger, I took out my dagger and cut the ropes to free him.
“Phew! Thank you for saving me.”
“What happened?”
“I was standing on the railing for a moment... I must have lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was here.”
“Can you stand up?”
He stood up, moved his hands and feet, and nodded.
“Fortunately, you don't seem to be hurt.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and took off my outer garment and covered him with it.
At that moment, I heard the voice of the captain of the Trading Company outside.
“Yuna! Where are you? Yuna!”
“Father, I'm here!”
Hearing his voice, the captain of the Trading Company and his bodyguards entered the warehouse.
Fortunately, I wasn't too late.
I had to clean him up before the bodyguards saw him in such a state.
“Yuna!”
He hugged his son and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Forgive your father for mistaking that impostor for you.”
“What? Impostor? What do you mean?”
Se-bin, the head of the Trading Company, explained the whole situation to him.
As the host of the banquet, he had to check on the safety of Captain Bok-yoon, so he followed Captain Kwang-joon inside.
“First of all, as the organizer, I apologize for this unfortunate incident. To explain the situation, someone with your face was impersonating you. Eunseoho, the captain of the guard, noticed this.”
“Ah…”
“If it weren't for Eunseoho, you would have suffered for a long time.”
In response, Captain Bok-Yoon clasped his hands in a greeting.
“Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?”
“There's no need to thank me. Aren't we friends? I only did what any friend would do for a friend. No one would call that a favor.”
“Captain Eun...”
Captain Bok-Yoon looked at me with tears in his eyes.
“By the way, I'm worried that this incident will leave a bad impression on the Baekdae Trading Company meeting.”
He shook his head at my words.
“No, I learned a valuable lesson from this incident.”
His eyes were firm as he said so.
I was glad to hear him say that, but...
“By the way, why did he do that?”
Clan Chief Se-bin replied with a wry smile.
“He said he wanted to take all the silver badges.”
“....”
I had no words.
Although the silver badges were just a side attraction at the Hundred Clan Meeting, there was still a line that should not be crossed.
That man crossed the line.
“The entertainment of protecting the silver plates only excuses stealing them. He overlooked the fact that other crimes are not excused, which is why he did what he did.”
Se-bin, the head of the trading company, said.
“I guess our merchants looked down on them.”
He laughed on the surface, but his eyes were sharp and cold.
Merchants may seem like they have no pride at first glance, but in fact, they are more proud than anyone else. They just have a different sense of pride.
And that fake merchant hurt the pride of the captain of the Sebin Trading Company. After all, this happened at a banquet he hosted.
Now that man is in big trouble.
Still, I hope he leaves my share for me.
I won't feel satisfied until I make him pay for what he did to my friend.
I'll say it again, I'm not a nice person.
“Young master! Are you here? I brought the clothes you asked for!”
Before coming here, I had asked Pal-gap to do something via telepathy.
The fact that the impostor was wearing Captain Bok-yoon's clothes meant that Captain Bok-yoon's clothes had been taken off.
Fortunately, the inn was nearby. Pal-gap was panting with a bundle in his hands.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
I took it and handed it to Captain Bok-Yoon.
“He asked me to bring his clothes. This meeting is important for us merchants, isn't it? You'd better wear these and attend the meeting.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you very much, Captain Eun.”
Captain Bok-Yoon and his father, Captain Kwang-Joon, were very grateful to me.
The reason they came all the way from distant Yonyang was for the Baekdaesangdan meeting.
Of course, there was also the Dragon and Phoenix Duel, but from the merchants' perspective, the Baekdaesangdan meeting was the most important event.
It would have been a waste to return to the inn because of something like this.
Captain Bok-Yoon put on my clothes.
I didn't wear the clothes that Pal-gap brought, but they were luxurious and colorful, as they were originally intended for me.
This meant that I would not look out of place at such an occasion.
Moreover, the clothes fit me well.
“How do you look?”
“Are you sure you can lend me such nice clothes?”
“Yes.”
The clothes were much more gorgeous than the ones Captain Bok-Yoon had worn earlier.
They suit you well.
.
.
.
A moment later.
We returned to the banquet hall.
When my father approached me, Captain Kwang-Joon greeted him with a clasped hands greeting.
"We are greatly indebted to Captain Eun Seo-Ho.
“I am also pleased that Seo Ho was able to help you.”
“I will never forget this kindness.”
As I watched the two exchange greetings, Captain Han Baek-geon waved at me from across the room.
I headed over there with Captain Bok-yoon and Captain Sa-gang.
“I'm glad you're back. Was everything all right?”
Captain Bok-Yoon smiled and nodded.
“Thanks to you, Captain Eun, we are safe.”
“I was so scared just now!”
Meanwhile, the others approached us.
“What is going on? Are you all right?”
“Yes, we are fine.”
“No matter how much you want the silver badge, you shouldn't have done that. Tsk, tsk.”
Suddenly, I realized that the impostor was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is he?”
“He was taken away by our Trading Company's guards.”
The one who answered was Mister In, the son of the head of the Seobin Trading Company.
He was the next head of the company and was also very talented, but not as talented as his grandfather and father.
“Is that so?”
“It seems that we won't be able to enjoy ourselves protecting the silver plate this time.”
“I'm afraid so.”
Stealing the silver plate in this situation?
Then I have to admit that he is quite bold.
“And we are currently searching for his accomplices.”
Well... What happened to Captain Bok-Yoon is not something that could have been done by one person.
It would have taken organized efforts to lock Captain Bok-Yoon in the warehouse without being noticed by anyone, including the guards inside the meeting hall.
There must have been several accomplices.
Of course, there are quite a few people here who are after the silver plate. However, we cannot say that they are all accomplices of that impostor...
Ah, now that I think of it, Chun-il said he came to Luoyang with his father, didn't he?
.
.
.
The meeting ended.
The head of the Trading Company officially declared the meeting closed, and one by one, the participants began to leave.
“Seo-ho, let's go too.”
“Yes, Father.”
I said goodbye to the others and returned to the inn with my parents.
On the way back to the inn, I cautiously said to my father, “Father, I want to see Chun-il.”
“Hang a dark blue cloth on the window of the inn, and he will come to you. Is it about what happened today?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“We can't just let those who harmed my friend get away, can we?”
My mother looked at me and nodded.
“I also think they crossed the line this time. So if you're going to do it, do it right.”
I didn't expect my mother to say that.
Come to think of it, she had sent me a large number of fine horses as a reward for saving Captain Bok-Yoon from an assassin who was after him.
That incident seems to have brought my mother and Captain Bok-Yoon's mother closer together.
Come to think of it...
My mother was the daughter of a military family.
And I heard that women in the Liaoning region ride horses and shoot bows due to the harsh natural environment.
So my mother must have gotten along well with them.
In any case, since my mother said so, I have no choice but to do as she says.