Chapter 434
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 434
Chapter 434. Maternal Grandparents' House (3)
The monk Jeong-myeong said,
“If it weren't for your insight, we would have failed to understand the intentions of Grand Master Hyeokgon and suffered a great tragedy.”
They probably entered the secret passage with the Martial Alliance and, as they were at the front, would not have been able to escape annihilation.
So, it is right to express your gratitude to me, but...
However, kneeling like this makes me feel very uncomfortable.
“Please get up. I am not worthy of such gratitude.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Master, you deserve such treatment.”
Before I knew it, the other disciples were also kneeling.
Ah... I'm going to throw up everything I ate earlier.
I calmed them down and discussed what to do next.
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.
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It was already dawn, and they decided not to go to Gansu Province but to return to Shaolin.
They decided that it was best to report what I had told them about the matter first.
I hope so too.
No matter how well I explain and warn them, they may get caught up in the atmosphere when they arrive at the sword hall.
They may also be persuaded by the Martial Alliance.
Therefore, it would not be a bad idea to report to our superiors and take some time to decide.
Furthermore, that place is where the Black Sect, unorthodox sects, and followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have gathered.
Even if they do not want to, they will inevitably find themselves entangled in a web of gratitude and obligation.
After seeing off the monk Jeong-myeong and his party, we headed back to Gansu.
From here, it was possible to take a boat, but we had Joo Gang-ma.
“Still, we'll need a boat to cross the river.”
At my words, Joo Gang-ma, who was holding the reins, reacted as if to say, “What are you talking about?”
“Hee-ing? Purung!”
Geum-ryung poked his head out from my sleeve and said to me.
“Kui! Kui!”
“Huh?”
“Kuii!”
“You think we can cross a river this wide by running?”
Come to think of it, the name Zhugangma means “crossing the river.”
I thought it meant that it was fast, but does that mean it can actually cross a river?
“It's not that deep here, but it's wide and the current is strong.”
“Pruu!”
“Kui!”
“What do you think you are? Just trust me.”
You can run anywhere?
Okay, I'll believe you.
If it doesn't work, I'll use my magic.
So we headed for the river.
It was a little far from the ferry, but we didn't want anyone else to see us crossing the river on horseback.
“Hee!”
The short cry of the Zhuang horse.
Even without Geum-ryung's translation, I knew what it was saying.
Hold on tight. If you fall into the river, it's not my fault.
I held the reins tightly and warned the others.
“Hold on tight! We're going to cross the river on horseback.”
“Now?”
“Yes!”
As soon as I finished speaking, the horses began to run.
It seemed faster than before.
Was this the true power of the Zhugang horses?
The scenery in front of my eyes disappeared in the blink of an eye, and all I could hear was the sound of the wind whistling in my ears.
It was such a dizzying speed that a normal person would have lost their grip on the reins.
Soon, the muddy Yellow River appeared in front of us.
Uh...
I was speechless for a moment.
We were actually crossing the river.
Is this real? Is this real? Am I seeing things? Oh my god!
The name “running across the river” was not an empty name.
Looking at the feet of the Zhugang horses, I could see a faint trace of Genuine qi.
Aha!
I thought I understood why the Zhugangma could cross the river. It was the same principle as Dengping Dao.
Although the energy was not strong, it combined with their speed to enable them to run across the river.
As we crossed the river, the Zhugangma gradually slowed down.
Soon, they stopped and raised their heads proudly.
It was as if they were saying, “I told you to trust us.”
I patted the Jukangma on the neck and said,
“You guys are amazing.”
Not only Palgag, but all of my bodyguards looked as if they couldn't believe what was happening.
“Oh my god...”
“Did you just cross the river?”
“How...”
Well, it's understandable.
To be honest, I can't believe it either.
I realized once again how lucky we were to have these Zhugang horses in our hands.
“By the way, can we cross the Yangtze River with these horses?”
Zhugang answered my question.
“Pluuung!”
Of course.
Huh, this is good.
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Three days after crossing the river, we arrived in Lanzhou.
Lanzhou.
In ancient times, it was called Jinxing because it was said to be made of gold.
It was also a commercial hub because it was located on the road to Xinjiang and Xizang via Qinghai.
My maternal family's house is located in the southern part of Lanzhou.
Although it is a small and modest house, it has a long history in Lanzhou.
When we arrived in front of my maternal family's house, the gatekeeper approached us and asked, “How are you?”
I recognized him.
He was the gatekeeper when I visited my maternal grandparents' house when I was very young.
He was older now than he was then.
“Long time no see.”
“Yes? Who are you?”
“I am Eun Seo-ho from Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Yes?”
Even though I told him my name, the gatekeeper tilted his head.
As a gatekeeper, he should have been good at remembering and distinguishing people's faces.
So why doesn't he recognize me?
Then Pal-gap nodded and said,
“Of course he doesn't recognize you. You've become incredibly handsome over the past few years.”
Ah...
Come to think of it, it's been almost ten years since I last visited my maternal grandparents' house.
I should reflect on myself.
“It's been too long since I've visited.”
Then I took out my ID card and handed it to him.
Even so, the gatekeeper still looked suspicious.
“Please wait a moment.”
Then a man came out following the gatekeeper who had gone inside.
When I saw him, I quickly clasped my hands together in a greeting.
“My nephew, Eun-seo-ho, is here to see his uncle.”
“Huh? Eun-seo-ho?”
“Yes.”
His name was Min-jeong.
He was my mother's older brother and my uncle.
He stared at my face for a long time, then let out a cry of surprise.
“Ah! Yes! Now I see! You look just like Seon when he was young!”
Min-seon.
That was my mother's name.
“There was no one in Lanzhou who could compare to your mother. You must be tired from your journey. Come in.”
“Yes, uncle.”
My maternal grandfather's house hadn't changed much from my memory.
It was always a peaceful place.
Gansu was a place where water was scarce, but it was located near a river, so there was no shortage of water.
Thanks to that, although it wasn't very big, it was quite spacious.
“Ha! Hot!”
“Yikes!”
I heard the sound of battle cries and turned my head to see a group of people wielding swords at the training ground.
“They are disciples of our family.”
“They are quite skilled.”
“Their skills are impressive.”
I could see the pride in my great-uncle's expression.
I followed my great-uncle to the main hall and was able to meet my great-grandparents.
“Oh! Who is this? Isn't this Seo Ho?”
“Why are you so late?”
It was my maternal grandparents.
They recognized me as soon as they saw me.
They are still in good health. I am glad.
“Grandfather! Grandmother!”
For some reason, I felt like acting childish around my maternal grandparents.
“I missed you so much.”
“We missed you too. By the way, we received your letter saying you were coming, but you arrived quite early.”
Ah, the gatekeeper must have been puzzled by this.
It takes more than half a month to get here, whether you leave from Beijing or Hubei.
But they must have come so quickly that you didn't have time to let us know.
“Ah, the horses we rode were quite fast. That's why we arrived earlier than planned.”
“I see.”
He didn't seem to believe them.
“You'll understand when you see our horses later. We were lucky to get them.”
“Well, you must have had a long journey. Come in and have some hoiduza.”
“That's what we wanted to eat, so we hurried here.”
Hoiduza is made by boiling beans, jujubes, and sugar until it becomes a porridge-like consistency. It is very sweet and delicious.
It is one of Lanzhou's signature dishes, and eating it settles the stomach.
As we sat around the gazebo in the garden and talked about what had happened, a maid brought us some hoedooja.
I invited my bodyguards to sit down and eat, but they all declined.
I was glad that they all liked hoedooja.
“Eat a lot.”
“Yes, Grandma.”
When I eat hoedooja, I somehow become sentimental.
My maternal grandparents passed away a few years before I died.
As they were both martial artists, they lived long lives, but I was still sad and regretful.
I wish I had visited them one more time.
Seeing how much they loved this, I felt even more sorry.
“But what is it that brought you here so suddenly?”
I smiled shyly and replied to my maternal grandmother.
“I missed you both.”
“That's just something you say, but I'm glad to hear it.”
“No, I mean it.”
I continued.
“I've wanted to visit my maternal grandparents for a long time, but I couldn't because I was so busy. But now I finally have some free time, so I decided to stop by.”
“Is that so?”
I nodded.
“Yes. My father and mother also asked me to say hello to you both.”
My father also told me to stop by the Gansu branch of Eunhae Trading Company while I was there.
My parents were very happy to hear this.
“So, how long are you planning to stay?”
“About two days.”
“Okay, make yourself comfortable while you're here.”
“By the way, now that I look at him, he really looks just like our Sun-i!”
“He's your son, of course he does. Hahaha.”
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After the conversation between grandfather and grandson, I was shown to my room.
“Hoo.”
I tried to lie down on the bed, but
Chak!
Pal-gap stopped me and said,
“Young master, please wash up first. You don't intend to lie down on the bed and dirty the bedding your grandparents gave you, do you?”
“....”
Pal-gap pointed out my conscience.
In the end, I had no choice but to wash up.
“By the way, you seemed a little different today.”
“Huh? What?”
“You finally looked your age. Until now, you looked like an old man. I thought you were in your thirties or forties, having gone through all kinds of trials and tribulations.”
Ugh... This guy.
He's very sharp.
I quickly smiled and replied.
“That's because here, even if I act childish, you accept it. But it's not like that elsewhere. There are people all around me who want to devour me, so I can't let my guard down or I'll be eaten alive.”
“Yes, that's true.”
“So, enough of that nonsense. Go and get me a cup of tea.”
“If you drink tea before bed, you won't be able to sleep...”
“Of course not! How hard did I run? And how hard did I work before coming here? A cup of tea isn't going to keep me awake!”
I'm extremely tired right now.
Even so, the reason I don't go straight to sleep and drink tea is because I need time to organize my thoughts.
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The next morning.
I finished my training at my residence and went outside.
It was the end of July.
The temperature here was not bad for activities.
As I was walking around, I found myself outside the village and came to the training ground where my disciples were practicing.
“One!”
“Ha!”
“Two!”
“Ha!”
Dozens of people were moving in unison to the commands of what appeared to be their instructor.
The Yeongseon Min family is a martial arts clan that mainly uses swords.
The renken is considered a very difficult weapon to handle, and in my opinion, it is even more difficult than a whip.
The renken is very sharp, so even a slight touch can cause injury.
However, because its movements are unpredictable, it is a very advantageous weapon.
It is thanks to their skill with the renken that the family has been able to maintain its status for so long.
I smiled happily as I watched them.
Ah, it's about time for breakfast.
I sat down at the table with my maternal family.
Today's breakfast was noodles.
People in Gansu are very serious about noodles, and there are many different types.
This is because rice production is very low.
Due to the climate, they mainly grow wheat, beans, and corn.
As we were eating noodles in warm beef broth, my great-uncle said,
“Father, a letter arrived a moment ago.”
“A letter? This early in the morning?”
“Yes. It's a letter from the Martial Alliance.”
The Martial Alliance?
At those words, I couldn't help but prick up my ears.
“They say they will visit our family this afternoon.”
What? Today?
While I was surprised, my great-uncle continued.
“I think it's because of the sword in Yeonji Mountain.”
Could it be...
It's not because of what I think, is it?
That afternoon.
As planned, the Martial Alliance visited.
I didn't step forward and watched the situation from behind, but for some reason, my great-uncle didn't look very happy.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Then, someone behind me clicked their tongue.
“Why did the author have to be someone from the Martial Alliance?”
Was there something going on between my uncle and that warrior?
The one who said that was my uncle's servant.
If so, he must know something.
I approached him and asked quietly.
“What do you mean?”