Chapter 343
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 343
Chapter 343. Things Gone Astray (6)
I smiled awkwardly and said, “Hahaha. You're joking.”
“I'm not joking.”
Yoo Jae-hyuk's face was serious as he replied.
“I'm convinced by your current teachings. I've never met a master who cares so much about me and worries about me like this.”
“Your teaching has convinced me. I have never met a master who truly cares for me and worries about me like this.”
“Don't you have a master in the Mount Heng Sect?”
“To be honest, it is a relationship of junior brother and senior brother based on the honor of teaching the son of the Po Jungsa and the donation made by my family.”
He continued.
“My current level is solely the result of my own efforts.”
“...
You are very determined.
”I would like to formally ask you to be my master.“
”How old are you?“
”I am thirty-one.“
”I am twenty-one. You are ten years younger than me! People will laugh at us.“
”Let them laugh! I don't care."
“...
I don't care, do you?
”I will not move from this spot until you give me permission.“
I glanced at Mister Yoo's bodyguard standing next to him.
But as soon as he caught my eye, he knelt down as well.
”Please listen to your liege's request."
Listen to me?
You shouldn't do that.
This is really difficult.
He is a man whose stubbornness is stronger than steel, so he won't give up easily.
Of course, I could turn away coldly, or I could explain calmly and make him give up.
But the reason I hesitate is because he helped me a lot in my previous life.
He died protecting me until the very end.
“Meeting you, serving you, and being able to die for you are joys that I have no regrets about.”
With those words, he rushed into the enemy and died a warrior's death.
I still remember his last words.
I looked at him with mixed feelings.
“Can't you find a better master than me?”
“To me, Captain Eun is a great master.”
“I see. Then let's do this.”
At my words, his gaze turned to me.
“I will not formally become your junior brother. To be honest, that is too much of a burden for me. Also, this decision may be just a momentary impulse.”
I continued gently.
“So, train diligently under my guidance for three years, and if you still feel the same way, come find me. However, if you decide not to accept my offer, we will forget everything we have discussed. What do you say?”
He thought about my offer for a moment, then nodded.
“That means you will teach me martial arts. I understand. Three years will pass quickly.”
I know that too.
It seems like only yesterday that I returned to the age of fifteen, but now I am already twenty-one.
And I know that he will not give up even after three years.
I gave him a three-year grace period because I had already decided on the direction of his training.
By then, he would be able to do well on his own, even without me as his master.
And I did not promise him that I would become his junior brother in three years.
I told him to come find me.
“Now, please get up.”
At my words, the two men stood up.
“Listen carefully.”
I told him what kind of training he would have to undergo.
“Stop hanging around Dongting Lake. The masters who want to spar with Mister are those who know about the bond of gratitude in the martial arts world. They won't cause trouble for no reason.”
I continued.
“It's obvious that they will provoke their opponents in order to spar with a master...”
As if I had read his mind, his face turned red.
“The only masters who would fall for such provocation are black-hearted individuals who don't think about the consequences. And their methods are cowardly and vicious.”
Mister Yoo's bodyguard nodded in agreement. Looking at him, I felt as if he had scratched an itch for me.
“You only have one life. And Young Master's life is not his alone. It also belongs to his parents, siblings, and wife and children.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“And…”
I instructed him to repeat the three basic training exercises and nine basic sword techniques that the warriors of the Eunhaesang Trading Company practiced every day, a thousand times a day.
Of course, it would not be easy.
But this would change his life.
I looked up at the moon in the sky.
I had spent too much time thinking.
“I will be on my way now.”
“Let me see you out.”
“Do you remember everything I told you?”
“Yes.”
“You don't have to see me off. Write it down before you forget.”
“Yes, sir.”
With that, he dismissed his escort and left the place, guided by his attendant.
As I followed the attendant, I looked for an opportunity to slip away.
Unlike the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard had a more complicated structure, which allowed me to slip away.
I felt a little sorry for the attendant who would be confused when he realized I was gone. But it couldn't be helped.
I concentrated my senses and searched for the black aura I had felt earlier.
The fourth Mister must be there.
Huh?
But I could sense more than one black aura.
However, seeing multiple auras coming from the same building, I thought that perhaps someone had been sent to help the fourth Mister.
Damn!
I flew toward the building.
A moment later,
I arrived at a building.
It was a guest house similar in size to the second Mister's guest house. However, perhaps because they were not yet married, there were far fewer people staying there.
I sensed their energy and headed toward the place where the energy of the black Dao was strongest.
But...
That person was not the fourth Mister.
Who is it?
Judging from his attire, he did not seem to be of high rank, but rather a servant...
He looked around suspiciously as he left the gate.
It was strange that he was wandering around at this time of night, and even though he was staying there, he seemed wary of his surroundings...
That meant he didn't want anyone to find out what he was doing.
My intuition told me that I had to follow him. Sometimes you have to follow your intuition, and this was one of those times.
I cautiously followed him.
When he arrived at a tree in the inner courtyard, he took something out of his sleeve and stuck it into a hollow in the tree.
It was above eye level and cleverly hidden, so it was not visible at first glance.
Beep!
He blew a whistle.
It was almost silent, but when he blew it, I felt something special.
Then he returned to his place.
I checked the area to make sure no one was around, then headed toward the tree.
I took out what he had hidden.
It was a letter.
I opened it and read it.
“...!”
My intuition was right after all. Following that suspicious man was the right decision.
[Reporting. Today, someone from Baekran's house came and reported that his condition has improved. I heard that there was a report from the 26th house that Falling Blossom was not far off, so they withdrew. Please confirm and take necessary measures.
Baekran must be referring to Miss Jaryeong.
White magnolia, called Baekryeon, blooms only once before it withers away with the first frost, so its actual flowering season is shorter than one might think.
In other words, it was written to mean that the flowers would fall quickly.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
It was clear that this letter had been left here for regular reporting.
What would have happened if it had fallen into their hands?
Quite a headache aside, Miss Jaryeong's life would have been in danger.
I read on to the end.
“The fourth branch seems to have noticed. It seems we must eliminate him soon.”
Huh? What does this mean?
The fourth branch must refer to the fourth son.
But for it to make sense, it must be assumed that they didn't know about it.
What? Then?
Does that mean the fourth son wasn't an accomplice, but was being used?
Let's worry about that later. First, we have to do something about this letter...
After thinking about it for a moment, I realized there was no need to worry.
I'll just say I found it.
There are many unexpected things in this world. A bird could have flown by and landed on it, causing it to fall.
Huh? Wait... A bird?
I sensed a faint but distinct black aura in the sky, and I realized how to retrieve the letter.
He had sent this letter through a trained bird. He blew the whistle to call the bird.
To be honest, I wondered how I could deliver this letter hidden inside my clothes, but there was a way.
At that moment, I sensed someone's presence nearby.
It was a familiar aura. It was the attendant who had guided me.
This is perfect timing.
“Oh? Are you here?”
He ran toward me with a thoughtful look on his face, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I've been looking for you everywhere.”
“Hahaha. I'm sorry. I saw something interesting and got distracted, and then I lost my way. I tried to find my way back, but I didn't want to disturb the others by shouting...”
“You got lost and ended up here.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Anyway, I'm glad you found me. Actually, this place has been expanded and renovated many times, so it's easy to get lost.”
“Oh, that's why I couldn't find my way. I'm not usually bad with directions... I was really confused.”
I continued naturally.
“Oh, and I found this lying on the ground.”
I handed him the letter.
“A bird that was sitting on this tree was startled by my footsteps and flew away, dropping this.”
“Is that a letter?”
“Yes, but... the contents seem a little strange. Would it be possible to see the Minister of Justice?”
He thought for a moment and nodded.
“It's not time for His Excellency to retire yet, so I think it will be fine.”
So I headed straight for the Pojeongsa's office. I told him I would take care of the rest of my work at my office in the outer quarters.
I was granted an audience and entered the office.
“Yes, what is it at this late hour?”
“I came to see you because of this letter.”
I handed him the letter and explained everything that had happened. Of course, I left out the real reason.
After reading the letter, the Hunan Provincial Governor's expression turned serious.
He knew.
He knew that there was something strange about the letter. Today, we had informed him that Miss Jae-ryung's condition was improving, and that was what the letter said.
“I thought His Highness should know, so I came to see you tonight.”
“Thank you.”
He stared at the letter for a moment, then smiled slightly.
“Now that we are here, I will ask you directly. Why did you come here?”
“What?”
“Don't say that you couldn't refuse the request because you were indebted to the Po Jing-sa of Guizhou Province, as you did earlier. It would be more accurate to say that you made a deal with the Po Jing-sa of Guizhou Province.”
Wow... I think I need to prepare a mat.
“And you say you were looking for my wife? That's ridiculous. A master like you?”
He continued.
“I'm sure you came here for a reason, and I suspect that reason has something to do with this letter, am I right?”
His insight is incredible.
Come to think of it, the magistrate of Hunan Province is also relatively young, just like the magistrate of Guizhou Province.
I looked into the Hunan Province Po Jing-sa to resolve this matter, and he is said to be a very competent official.
That is why he quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed to the Hunan Province Po Jing-sa.
This area is rich in natural resources and has vast grain fields, making it a very important region.
I saw him.
I was glad that I found this letter.
I now know that the magistrate of Hunan Province has nothing to do with this matter.
If he had been involved with the Martial Alliance, the emperor would have been very upset.
I smiled to myself.
Being competent means that he could be a reliable ally.
That is why I came to seek his help.
I needed his help to stir up trouble in this family.
I said with clasped hands.
“To tell you the truth, I must first tell you that Miss Jaryeong's illness was not a simple illness, but a symptom of poisoning.”
“Poisoning?”
“Yes. And coincidentally, the poison was in the tea sent from this place.”
“What? Is that true?”
Po-jeong looked shocked at my words.
“Yes, it's true.”
“How could this happen...”
He sighed.
“That's why I came here, to reveal the truth.”
“This is a serious matter for me as well. You tried to harm a woman who was to be married into my family! And it was Ja-ryung...”
You call her by her first name.
“You seem to care for Miss Ja-ryung.”
He nodded.
“There is a regular meeting between the Po-jeong-sa. We became close because our families met there.”
“I see.”
“I wanted her to be my daughter-in-law so badly that I insisted on an engagement, but how could this happen...”
He frowned.
“This is much worse than I thought.”
“What?”
Did that mean that the Hunan Pojeongsa was also aware of the situation?