Chapter 321
Chapter 321
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 321
Chapter Title: Worried About Shaolin (7)
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As Eon Yong-un was just about to leave Shaolin.
In the Family Head's quarters of the Pearl Eon Family in Hebei, Eon Jeong-ung was receiving two guests.
"Poison Freak Elder. Thank you for coming all this way."
One of them was Dang Ja-jin, who had been put in charge of managing the Tang family's apothecaries in Hebei and Shanxi.
"Hardship? What hardship? From the Stone Buddha Market to here? For me, it's practically next door. You should be saying that to Silver Lord over there."
"Silver Lord, thank you for your efforts as well."
The other was Eun Se-pyeong, the master of the Silver Radiance Merchant Group and the Southern Jiang Merchant King.
"Haha. No real hardship on my end either. It was the idle peddlers doing the walking, and the horses pulling the carriage."
Eon Jeong-ung alternated his gaze between Dang Ja-jin and Eun Se-pyeong as he asked,
"Seeing the Poison Freak Elder treat Silver Lord so casually, it seems the two of you are already well-acquainted."
Dang Ja-jin nodded in agreement.
"As you know, the Great Bashan Mountains are notoriously treacherous, so the main trade routes for Sichuan goods go through the Yangtze. Silver Lord and I go way back—old faces among old faces."
With that opener, Dang Ja-jin offered Eun Se-pyeong a courteous cupped-fist salute.
"Thank you for your help when chaos erupted in Sichuan. Thanks to Silver Lord buying up massive quantities of Tang family hidden weapons, we were able to hold a grand poison festival. And the medicinal herbs and grain you sent afterward greatly helped stabilize life in Chengdu."
"No need for thanks. I got the world's finest hidden weapons from the Tang family at a bargain price—that's me who should be grateful. The Silver Radiance Merchant Group's name is now etched in the hearts of the Chengdu folk, from the Tang family heads on down... In the long run, it's a profit for us."
"Such modesty."
"You're flattering a mere merchant trying to leave a legacy. More importantly, let me once again express my condolences for the lives lost in Sichuan."
After the courteous exchange of cupped-fist salutes between Dang Ja-jin and Eun Se-pyeong,
Eon Jeong-ung lightened the mood by changing the subject.
"It seems Silver Lord is always the one coming to Hebei. Next time, I'll come down to Huizhou myself."
"No, no. I had business in Tianjing anyway. And I wanted to see the Tang apothecaries with my own eyes."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. These things need to be inspected personally to satisfy my curiosity, and it sparks ideas for linking with other ventures. Anyway, separately from that, I'll invite you to Huizhou sometime. Don't turn it down as a hassle."
"Hassle? If Lord sets a date and invites me, I'll drop everything and come."
"Hahaha."
The laughter spread for a moment.
Then Eun Se-pyeong pointed toward Luoyang and spoke up.
"By the way, have you heard the news from the Murim Alliance? Word is Yong-un made quite the splash at the White Council. It's only a matter of time before a Pearl Eon Family member becomes Alliance Leader. He's walking the royal road, truly. Makes you wonder if history's ever seen such a promising junior."
At Eun Se-pyeong's words, Dang Ja-jin shook his head.
"Yong-un's a wild one, sure, but the Alliance Leader seat? It's a thankless job, always cleaning up after every mess in the jianghu... I wouldn't take it even if it were offered."
"True, but it's not a role just anyone can fill. Plenty envy it."
"Well, put like that, I suppose it is."
"Yes. Especially for the Pearl Eon Family—after walking a thorny path since the last Righteous-Demonic War, you've finally returned to the Five Great Families' seats. Yong-un's own will matters most, of course..."
At those words from Eun Se-pyeong, Eon Jeong-ung imagined Eon Yong-un seated on the Alliance's highest throne, the Grand Seat.
'Not that I'm biased as his father, but honestly, doesn't it suit him?'
The position required not just meritorious contributions to the jianghu, but also profound cultivation and seasoned judgment.
It wouldn't happen immediately, but assuming Yong-un gained just a bit more maturity, no one seemed more fitting.
"Hrm. Hmhm. Heh heh hm."
With that, the corners of Eon Jeong-ung's mouth began to twitch upward.
Lost in such thoughts, Eon Jeong-ung forgot he was entertaining guests and became fully immersed in his imaginings.
"The fact that he took the Student Council President role at the academy suggests he's not entirely against it. If he becomes Alliance Leader someday, it'd be a momentous event for the Eon family, wouldn't it? Isn't that right, Family Head?"
"Hmhm."
"Family Head?!"
"Ahem. Ah. My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"...What could have you so absorbed?"
Thanks to Eun Se-pyeong, Eon Jeong-ung snapped out of his reverie and cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking.
"It's nothing. Ahem. More importantly, if you've heard about the Alliance, you must have heard the other news too?"
"Ah, you mean the fight among the juniors?"
"Yes. As punishment, he went off to Shaolin for confinement, didn't he? To think the Murim Alliance would see such fisticuffs. His hot-tempered, stubborn nature is really causing trouble. Wonder who he takes after... Well, naturally, it's me he takes after."
Eon Jeong-ung's final words weren't mere coincidence.
Just then, Plum Blossom Madam, who had been listening from outside, sent word.
"Lord Husband. The handmaiden says the appetizers are all prepared and brought in."
"...Ahem. Come in."
Entering the Family Head's quarters, Plum Blossom Madam offered Dang Ja-jin and Eun Se-pyeong a demure greeting.
'Good thing Madam didn't hear my words.'
Seeing this, Eon Jeong-ung let out a sigh of relief.
But before that sigh could fully escape,
Plum Blossom Madam spoke.
"If you're unsure who he takes his stubbornness after, take a look in the bronze mirror when you have time."
"Y-You heard that?"
"Yes."
"I wasn't saying he takes after you. I was going to say it's entirely because he takes after me..."
"Entirely after you? No, he takes mostly after me."
"???"
"And would Yong-un have done it for no reason? If a deep-hearted kid like him caused a scene, it means the other side acted like total thugs."
At Plum Blossom Madam's words, Dang Ja-jin and Eun Se-pyeong chimed in as if on cue.
"Madam's right. If you look closely, the White Council folks aren't so pure-white on the inside—plenty of black-hearted scum. He must've deserved the beating."
"Moreover, clans like Wudang and the Beggars' Gang didn't even submit petitions on their behalf, did they?"
At their words,
Eon Jeong-ung felt a swell of pride inwardly but humbly demurred out of habit.
"Hmhm. But aren't they all families of Yong-un's close friends?"
"Even so, not every faction is blindly taking his side. The Nangong family, for one, and especially Wudang—they're on awkward terms with Jeonghyeon Taoist, aren't they?"
"You've both met him, but Senior Seunghyeon has a knack for seeing through people. He'd know Yong-un's character at a glance... He won't just scold him. It might even turn into a blessing for the boy."
As Eun Se-pyeong and Dang Ja-jin spoke again at Eon Jeong-ung's words,
"Then I'll take my leave. Please enjoy yourselves, honored guests."
As the handmaidens set down a spread of appetizers on the table,
Plum Blossom Madam personally placed rice and soy paste in front of Eon Jeong-ung before departing.
"......"
Eon Jeong-ung stared at the rice bowl and soy paste dish before him, sighing briefly before turning to Eun Se-pyeong.
"In any case, the reason I invited Silver Lord here isn't just to discuss the future of the Tang apothecaries... It's something I heard from my father-in-law."
"From Elder Shanxi Golden Bee?"
"Yes. He mentioned unusual price fluctuations in the Thunderclap Bombs, whose main production is in southern Yunnan."
* * *
From leaving Mount Song until reaching Dangan-gu, where the Righteous Martial Academy stood, nothing noteworthy happened.
I reported to the academy's administrative committee members who had come to greet me.
"...Excluding the two students who will be staying at Shaolin for the reasons I mentioned, there are no special matters. Report complete."
The professors, led by Professor Gyeonghye, were startled by the change in my aura.
"My word, in the short time I haven't seen you, you've broken through a wall?! The jianghu's great fortune... Ah, no, that's not the point."
She shot me a glare while offering affectionate criticism.
"You're not someone lacking magnanimity, sheltering Mo Yong-gil and all, yet a person of your stature causes a scene at the Murim Alliance? When I heard you'd be confined in a Shaolin temple, my heart dropped."
"I'm sorry to have worried you."
But when I showed remorse and presented the letter from Abbot Gonghyo,
"I've reflected deeply on that, but as a result, it led to receiving this from Abbot Gonghyo."
"Hm? Isn't that a letter?"
"Yes. Written by the abbot himself."
"This old monk keenly feels that the exchanges between Shaolin and the Righteous Martial Academy are mere superficialities... And Abbot Gonghyo wrote this personally?"
"Yes. Doesn't it have the abbot's seal at the end?"
"...The seal is there, and the handwriting matches what I know of Gonghyo... It's just hard to believe that proud Shaolin would convey such words and proposals."
Gyeonghye's face mixed various emotions before she sighed.
"...Sigh. Always making it impossible to scold you properly. No injuries? Did Seunghyeon chew you out harshly?"
"I went through various trials, so yes, I got scolded... But ultimately, it became the trigger for breaking through a wall."
"You've worked hard. Go rest—you must be exhausted."
"Yes, ma'am."
Though I acknowledged the order to rest, there was bound to be a mountain of work piled up from my absence.
After dismissing the inspection team, I exchanged light greetings with the remaining students who had come out with the professors.
"Silver Junior, Jeogal Junior. Thanks for covering for me while I was gone. And the rest of you riffraff."
"Riffraff?! Yong-gil hyung and I are on a different level—show some respect!"
"Jang Ho."
"Yes?"
"I'm about to go inspect the four dorms. Want to get 'inspected' too?"
"I'll be the 'Gi', Yong-myeong here the 'Ta', and the rest are 'etc.'—got it!"
"While we're at it, Jang Ho, tell the Beggar kids in Solgeo to put the Beggars' Gang jianghu trends report on my desk for my absence."
"Yes, sir!"
After briefly catching up, I went around inspecting the four dorms—Mae Nan-gukjuk, Sa-dae Gi-suksa—one by one, grasping the big and small incidents from my absence.
Beep beep bleep! Beep beep bleep bleep!
Snap!
"Looking good, Hyangran Hall. Excluding Cheongjuk Hall, you lot have rolled under me the most— it shows."
"Thank you!"
"Inspection ends here. Regular students, return to your dorms. Autonomous committee officers, report any special incidents from my absence to the Student Council room."
As the Hyangran Hall inspection wrapped up,
Dang Jun-gi, the Vice President of the Autonomous Department, approached.
"President Eon?"
"Yes. Something urgent?"
"No, quite the opposite. It's so minor it might not even need a report—thought I'd mention it verbally."
"Hm. Go ahead."
"It's not much of an 'incident,' but... Lately, there've been cases of Wudang disciples getting red-faced among themselves."
"How so, specifically?"
"About the various sects submitting petitions for you at the Murim Alliance this time. Seems they were debating whether Jeonghyeon was forgiven or not."
"I see."
"It's not harming the academy or dorms, but the atmosphere's there."
"Hm. Noted."
"Ah, and..."
"Something else?"
"Not really. Just checking if Ok-gi had any issues."
"Why not ask her yourself?"
"Ahem. Bit awkward to ask directly. She shoved an overnight pass through the committee door crack right after arriving and bolted somewhere."
"...Probably to Cheongjuk Hall. No issues anyway. The Medicine King Elder dotes on her. And it didn't tie into my Murim Alliance mishap."
After finishing the sequential inspections of the four dorms, I returned to the Student Council room to handle necessary tasks while skimming the Beggars' Gang report I'd requested from Cheon Jang-ho.
"Hm."
It mentioned Wudang disciples harboring quite a bit of discontent here too.
"The jianghu seems relatively quiet... But both the Beggars' report and the committee heads mention it. Wudang disciples?"
As I pieced together what Dang Jun-gi had told me with the report in front of me,
Unhyeok—former Public Relations Officer of Hyangran Hall, Jeonghyeon's private student and rival, and a Wudang disciple—came to see me.
"...Ahem. President Eon. Got a moment?"