Chapter 349
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 349
Chapter 349. Solution (4)
Pal-gap smiled at my question and said, “The eldest daughter of the Dong family has died.”
“Really?”
Of course, it wasn't something to laugh about, but Pal-gap knew that her death was a lie.
It meant that our operation was going well.
And it meant that our plan was going well.
“She was walking down the street when a rat suddenly jumped out and she was so startled that she fell, hitting her head on a garden stone and dying instantly.”
The three of us discussed it carefully so that no one could be held responsible.
“So she said she came from that house to buy a pig.”
In this area, funerals were celebrated as lavishly as weddings. And they slaughtered a pig and shared its meat to share their grief.
“So when will the funeral begin?”
“In two days.”
It was time to move.
I looked around at my bodyguards and said,
“This is a secret. You understand?”
“Of course.”
Everyone nodded at Seo Woo's words. Myeongjong and Chang-woon also nodded.
“I swear on my life.”
There's no need for that...
I guess it means they will keep the secret for sure.
The funeral is in two days, which means Miss Jaryeong's body will arrive tomorrow.
The funeral would only begin once the body of the deceased was placed behind a folding screen.
That meant we had to sneak in tonight.
This time, we couldn't risk being caught, so Seo Woo and I decided to go alone.
The more skilled we were in martial arts, the less likely we were to be caught.
Late at night, when it was pitch black outside,
Seo Woo and I headed for the Dong family's main residence.
As expected of a branch of the royal family, the mansion was quite large.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
When we arrived there, we found a small door at the top of the room.
The reason we hid here was to confirm the death of Miss Jaryeong from the Martial Alliance.
We discussed this with the master of the martial arts school, and he told us a suitable place.
“Jaryeong's body... It feels strange to say it like that. Anyway, in the room where the coffin is temporarily placed, there is a small door near the ceiling. It was made to be used as a storage room, but from there, you can see everything below.”
That door was the one we were looking for.
It was too high to climb without a ladder, but that was no problem for us.
Ta-!
We jumped up lightly, stuck to the wall, opened the door, and went inside.
We closed the door, leaving only a small gap to check outside.
As Po-jeong-sa said, the interior was quite spacious.
However, it had not been used for a long time, and there was a lot of dust.
Still, it was much better than hanging from the beams and rafters for three days.
And there was a way to deal with the dust.
Uuung.
I drew on my inner arts to gather the dust and sweep it into a corner.
Now it was a little more comfortable.
At the same time, the time for patience began.
Clatter.
The next day, the door opened and people came in.
They spread a cloth on a large table and placed the coffin on top of it.
“Check the condition of the deceased.”
“Yes.”
They opened the coffin.
Inside was Miss Ja-ryeong, looking as if she were truly dead.
Just in case, he carefully examined her aura using only his inner arts, which were so subtle that no one else could detect them.
He could see that her heart was beating very faintly, so she was definitely alive.
Baek Hwa-ui's skill is truly remarkable.
Anyway, it was a good idea to hide here beforehand. That's because I sensed the aura of a black sword among the people who just entered.
While everyone was busy placing the coffin and preparing to leave, he secretly took the needle out of his pocket.
Huh? That guy?
At the same time, he sensed someone's energy flicker nearby.
It's Jin-yu Musha's energy.
I left him at the Seungjeongsa Temple to ensure Miss Jaryeong's safety and to see if anyone approached her to confirm her death.
That was why he had followed Miss Jaryeong.
I quickly sent a telepathic message.
"Just watch.
I said that because I couldn't sense any poison from the needle.
Even if I did sense poison, I could neutralize it as long as enough time passed.
I thought he would at least check her pulse, but he resorted to this method.
However, that may be the most reliable way to confirm whether she is truly dead.
And this may be our only chance.
He stabbed Miss Jaryeong's leg with the needle.
But she did not move.
Furthermore, there was almost no blood, and the little blood that flowed was dead blood.
He hoped that there would be no scars left on her body, but he had no choice but to accept it.
After confirming her reaction, he wiped the blood on his sleeve and put the needle back in his pocket.
It all happened in an instant.
I remembered his face clearly.
Although I had no choice but to watch now, after he reported to his superiors... I would have to report her death.
I sent a telepathic message to Jin-yu.
“I have additional orders. Keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Three days passed after that.
During that time, I could hear wailing outside, but no one came to check on Miss Jaryeong's body.
The door opened, and a group of people entered.
They washed Miss Jaryeong's body, covered the coffin, and carried it out.
Now it was time to move again.
Now it was time to move again.
Taking advantage of the fact that everyone had left, Seo Woo and I also left the place where we had been.
Then we quickly headed for the cave that Po Jeong-sa had told us about.
The Dong family's ancestral home is called Dongjang, where there is a funeral custom of placing coffins containing the bodies of the deceased in caves.
This was because it was a damp place, so it was best to place the bodies in a well-ventilated cave.
It was thanks to this custom that I was able to come up with this plan.
The cave was located on a fairly steep mountain path, but we were able to enter it without difficulty.
As we waited there for a while, we heard the sound of people approaching, accompanied by loud voices.
Those carrying the coffin entered and placed it on one side.
They sprinkled alcohol around the coffin, lit candles, and recited a funeral prayer. Among them, I saw the man who had stabbed Miss Jaryeong with a needle.
That means Jin-yu Musha is nearby...
Ah, there he is.
- Do you have anything to report?
Yes. I confirmed that he sent a letter somewhere.
You reported it to your superiors.
Yes, sir.
Huh?
I intercepted the letter and confirmed its contents. It said that Miss Dong had died and that she was definitely dead.
You confirmed that?
Yes, he used the same method as when Lim Do sent a letter before. That's how I was able to confirm it.
Ah... You mean the method of hiding letters in trees and sending them to higher-ups using birds.
However, I was unable to confirm where the letter was sent. I apologize.
- The letter must be delivered safely to the higher-ups. Only then can we say that half of this operation has been successful. You have worked hard. Come to the meeting place at the appointed time (7-9 p.m.). We will depart as soon as Jin-yu arrives.
Meanwhile, those who had finished reciting the funeral rites began to leave the cave.
Miss Jaryeong's Orabeoni all looked distraught.
Miss Jaryeong's mother was overcome with grief and unable to stand, and Pojeongsa looked heartbroken.
Of course, Pojeongsa's grief was not because Miss Jaryeong was dead, but because he had to make his healthy daughter look like she was dead.
His anger and resentment toward the Martial Alliance will be of great help to me.
There is a saying that
the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
However, regardless of that, seeing him like that hurt me and felt so heavy.
I will definitely avenge him.
Two hours after they left.
When I didn't sense anyone else around, I opened the coffin, cut the rope holding Miss Jaryeong's body with a dagger, and took her out.
When I looked around, I saw other remains stacked neatly.
They put the remains in coffins and leave them here until they dry out, then take them out and stack them next to the coffins.
If they don't do that, this cave will become completely full.
First, I bowed my head to them.
I'm sorry.
But this is to save my descendants, so I ask for your cooperation.
Now I have to put the right remains in the coffin instead of Miss Jaryeong.
Clatter.
As if in response to my words, one of the skulls piled up next to me rolled over and bounced into the coffin.
I guess this means they approve of what I am about to do.
I placed the remains in the coffin, sprinkled more poisonous wine on them, and lit a fire.
Whoosh!
The fire burned fiercely, consuming the poisonous wine.
This will destroy all evidence.
“Let's go!”
“Yes.”
I picked up Young Mistress Jaryeong and left the place. Then I headed to where Pal-gap and the others were waiting.
“Young Master!”
Pal-gap was waiting for me, as if he knew I was coming.
“Here I am!”
When I opened the carriage door, a woman was sitting inside.
She was a maid from the Dong family's main house.
She was the one whose life Ja-ryeong Miss saved some time ago.
A precious family heirloom had disappeared from her family home, and she had been accused of stealing it.
At that time, Ja-ryeong Miss found the lost heirloom and proved her innocence.
So, I asked her for help with this matter, and she readily agreed.
It would have been best to ask my maid for help, but that would have attracted too much attention.
Maids are usually very close to their employers.
However, the maids had no presence, so they were a suitable choice.
The reason we hired a separate maid was because we needed someone to take care of her and change her clothes.
All of us in our party were men.
Besides, we couldn't go to Beijing wearing clothes meant for a corpse. We would have to stop at an inn along the way.
“Oh my God!”
When I carried her and got into the carriage, the maid was shocked.
“Miss!”
I calmed her down with a calm voice.
“Don't be alarmed. She appears to be dead, but she will open her eyes in about two days.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Then please change her into the clothes I prepared.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I'm sure you've heard from my attendant about what to do next.”
She nodded.
“You must never reveal Miss Jaryeong's true identity.
”I understand. It is to protect your life.“
”That is correct. But someday, Miss Jaryeong will regain her identity. I promise."
This is a promise I make to myself.
If Miss Jarye regains her identity, it means that the Martial Alliance will no longer be able to take her life.
Just then, Jin-yu joined us, and we set off immediately.
We traveled quickly to Beijing, going up the river in the opposite direction we had come.
.
.
.
Ten days passed, and we were still on the boat.
“Are you okay with the motion of the boat?”
Miss Jaryeong nodded in response to my question.
“Yes.”
“That's surprising. I thought you would get seasick.”
She smiled at my words.
“I didn't know I wouldn't get seasick either.”
Two days after she was taken out of the coffin, just as Baek Hwal-hwa had said, she opened her eyes.
Then she immediately vomited blood.
She had vomited the dead blood that had accumulated in her body.
Then, as if her blood had started flowing again, her body began to show signs of life, and now she was moving quite normally.
Baek Hwal-hwa, you are truly amazing.
“We should be arriving in Jinan soon.”
We will get off at Jinan and go to Beijing to avoid the eyes of the Martial Alliance as much as possible.
“Are you cold?”
She shook her head at my question.
“It's okay. It means I'll be able to see real snow.”
“That's true. You wanted to see snow.”
“Um... Where will I be staying?”
“I will find you a quiet place to stay. You will live there under a different name and identity.”
I had already sent a letter to my Master through Geumryeong, asking for his cooperation in giving her a new identity.
Currently, my Master is known to others as the descendant of Master Gwak Hoon.
And thanks to Master Gwak Hoon's descendants living in hiding, people don't remember him, so it's perfect.
That way, no one will bother her.
Fortunately, Master agreed readily.
“I... have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“If it's not too much trouble, may I help you with some work at the Trading Company?”
“What?”
“Actually... I learned various things to help my father.”
This was completely unexpected.
I decided to test her skills.
“Can you do arithmetic?”
“Yes.”
“Have you studied the Four Books and Five Classics?”
“Yes, I've studied them all. And...”
She explained the books she had studied.
I couldn't help but be slightly surprised by her words.
With this level of knowledge, she could pass the imperial examination right now!
She was only nineteen years old, and she had learned all of that?
Come to think of it... Miss Jaryeong's father was a top-ranked scholar.
She had inherited the best qualities from her father and mother.
I gave her a question to test her, and after thinking for a moment, she gave me the correct answer.
I had originally only noticed her ability to see the future, but even without that, she was an outstanding talent.
I smiled.
“Then will you work as my second-in-command? I was just looking for someone for that position.”