Chapter 53
Ch. 53 .｡.:✧ Eun Hajin ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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‘The first priority is to treat my brother, who’s been confined to his sickbed.’
After Jang-sam left, I remained in the pavilion, contemplating my next move.
Once the decision was made, taking action was easy.
I would resolve the family’s issues as quickly as possible and then return to my sect.
“One mountain after another…”
I muttered, my voice laced with resignation.
Then, I started to move.
It was the beginning of a change.
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A few days passed, and I decided to visit my elder brother, the first young master who, despite his title, was bound to his bed.
I hadn’t been idle during those days.
The Red Lotus needed to be boiled for several days for its efficacy to be fully realized, so I had to remain in the pavilion to monitor the process.
This gave me time to consolidate my martial arts and the growth I had experienced so far.
It was, in a sense, a moment of calm preparation in the heart of enemy territory.
‘Still, it’s a bitter reality that I have to deal with these bandits when I should be back at Mount Hua, focusing on my training…’
I continued my meditation, seated in the lotus position.
Over the past few days, I had laid the foundation of the Heavenly Flame Combustion Technique, a core internal art of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
As the name suggested, it was an internal art of extreme Yang.
Thus, similar to when I had taken the Purple Cinnabar Pills, practicing this technique made my entire body feel as if it were engulfed in flames.
But as I grew accustomed to the sensation, I began to enjoy the training.
‘The feeling of getting stronger is something one never tires of.’
Woooong—
After another session of practicing the Heavenly Flame Combustion Technique, I finished my meditation and rose to my feet.
I tossed aside the stained robes I had been wearing and changed into the new set Jang-sam had prepared.
Swish-
Feeling that all preparations were finally complete, I cleared my throat once.
“Ahem!”
Jang-sam, who was waiting outside, responded immediately.
“Are you ready, Second Young Master?”
“Yes. It’s time to go to my brother’s residence.”
“Then I shall guide you. Please follow me.”
Jang-sam gave a slight nod and began to walk.
Matching his pace, I asked him a question.
“It seems those thugs, the so-called retainers, aren’t wandering around so brazenly this morning.”
“Well… they must have their reasons.”
“Their reasons? How absurd.”
I snorted at the thought.
‘If they were capable of such thought, they wouldn’t be trying to swallow the Silver River Trading Company in the first place.’
As I finished that thought, I realized we had arrived in front of my brother’s pavilion.
Thump, thump—
As we approached the residence of the first young master of the Silver River Trading Company, Jang-sam, who had been leading the way, bowed his head deeply and said,
“This is as far as I can take you, Second Young Master.”
“…Alright. Thank you for your trouble.”
After a brief word of thanks, I waited for Jang-sam to leave, then immediately used my lightness skill to leap onto the roof of the pavilion.
Thwip—
Reaching the rooftop, I closed my eyes for a moment and surveyed the surroundings for any presence.
‘Well… I suppose I should be thankful. It seems there’s no one monitoring the first young master’s residence.’
The reason for such caution was simple.
Near my father’s residence, many First and Second-Rate masters, disguised as retainers, were posted under the pretext of guarding him, but were in fact acting as spies.
Furthermore, they were all determined not to let anyone inside, so it would not be easy for even me to enter.
That’s why I had come with a certain level of tension, and I was a bit dumbfounded to have entered my brother’s residence so easily.
‘Still, treating my brother should be easy, so I should consider this a fortunate turn of events.’
The fact that there was still a family member on my side was a source of hope.
Knowing this, I nodded once and entered the pavilion.
Thump, thump…
Moving with short steps, I reached a point where the smell of medicinal herbs and decoctions hung heavy in the air, and I sensed a familiar presence.
“Hmm…!”
‘Here.’
From inside, I could hear the coughing of a patient.
Cough, cough!
It didn’t take long to realize that the coughing patient was my one and only brother.
With a bitter twist of my lips, I slid the door open.
Srrr—
Through the effortlessly opened door, I saw someone lying on a bed in the distance.
I observed the energy of the person covered head-to-toe in a blanket for a moment, then spoke softly.
“Brother, I’m here.”
“……”
“Eun Ha-seong, the second son of the Silver River Trading Company, has returned to the family.”
“…Who is it?”
The weak voice of a sick man brushed past my ear.
It was the frail, feeble voice of a man.
Hearing his voice, I let out a sigh.
“Huu.”
“Who… who are you… to come to my chambers…? What… do you want with me…?”
“Get a hold of yourself.”
“……?!”
“Open your eyes and look at me properly. See for yourself who has so rudely burst into the chambers of the first young master of the Silver River Trading Company.”
“You… Ha-seong?”
The wrinkles around my brother’s eyes were etched with the traces of his long illness and hopeless years.
Though he had only revealed himself for a moment, it was enough.
This was Eun Hajin, who should have been the heir to the Silver River Trading Company if not for his illness.
As I silently watched him, he swallowed hard and asked again.
“Ha-seong… is… is it really you…?”
“If I am not Eun Ha-seong, then who would dare to call themselves a son of the Silver River Trading Company, Brother?”
“……!”
“Pull yourself together, and drink this.”
Swish-
I took something out from my robes.
It was a bamboo container wrapped in cloth.
Inside was the water in which the roots of the Red Lotus had been boiled, a task I had entrusted to Jang-sam for several days.
As I had mentioned time and again, it was the panacea from the original novel.
As I placed it on the table beside the bed, Eun Hajin looked at me with weak eyes and spoke.
“Are you… planning to save me…?”
“Of course, Brother.”
“I… I couldn’t move a finger while Father secluded himself… I am no better than a sinner… I watched as the family was taken over by that demon-like woman, and though I was called the heir, I could do nothing…”
“If you have done wrong, you can repay it in the future.”
I continued, my gaze unwavering.
“If you have regrets, you must resolve to never have them again.”
“……”
“If you have a need for revenge, you must break their legs so they can never stand against you again.”
“……”
“Even if you are filled with resentment, and the situation seems hopeless, as long as you do not lose hope, a light will eventually shine, Brother.”
“……!”
“The way to redeem your mistakes is right before our eyes. What will you do? Will you continue to lie in bed, neither living nor dead? Or will you get up and take revenge on those who deserve to be torn to shreds?”
As I asked him with blazing eyes, Eun Hajin, feeling something powerful, clenched his jaw.
Then, as if he had finally made a firm decision, he asked me.
“Then… do you have a plan to overcome this situation?”
“……”
“As things stand, the family’s servants and workers may all be massacred. That demon-like woman has already won over not only the retainers but also a significant number of the family’s own people.”
“……”
“In this situation, I am asking if you are prepared to navigate this treacherous path and finally reclaim the light…”
“…If I wasn’t prepared, I wouldn’t have come this far to give you a chance, Brother. I am already prepared for this crisis that has befallen our family.”
I said softly.
At that, a tear of resentment streamed down Eun Hajin’s cheek.
After a moment of composing his emotions, he gritted his teeth, despite his weakened state, and spoke.
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