The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Youngest Master of the Zhu Family (13)

Beginning

Nine days.

The number of days left to catch the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

Even if it meant going to prison, the Blood Hand Poison Emperor had to be caught.

‘If I catch the Blood Hand Poison Emperor, I can delay the Demonic Cult’s plans.’

The Zhu Family’s destruction happens in the year I come of age.

After Mother passes away, Father Ju Tae-seong collapses.

The Demonic Cult then bares its fangs and destroys the weakened Zhu Family in one blow.

That was the fate of the noble family I remembered.

But for now, I had put out the urgent fire.

‘Since Mother is safe.’

Then, how would the Blood Hand Poison Emperor move?

‘That bastard…’

He’s an extremely meticulous bastard.

But even he had weaknesses.

‘He was a maniac obsessed with poison.’

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor was a pervert among perverts who couldn’t resist anything related to poison.

He was so crazy that he disguised himself and infiltrated the Tang Family as a low-ranking warrior just to learn how to mix exotic poisons.

‘To lure out such a madman…’

Suddenly, my mind flashed with realization.

‘Wait, the fact that he came here means…!’

Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense!

A meaningful smile crept across my lips.

There were only a handful of cases where that lazy Blood Hand Poison Emperor moved personally.

The first was when he obtained the core ingredient for making Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense, and the second was when he lured me to the Demonic Cult.

And in my previous life, like the latter case, I had stepped into the Demonic Cult of my own accord because of the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

“Mu Ying.”

I immediately called for Mu Ying.

And prepared to head out.

“Yes, Young Master.”

Mu Ying immediately opened the door and entered.

“There’s a place I need to go with you for a moment.”

“Shall I prepare a carriage?”

“No, it’s close.”

Yes, it’s close.

It was true that the Blood Hand Poison Emperor had targeted the Zhu Family’s Foster Mother.

But that alone wasn’t a big enough matter for him to move personally.

No matter how much I thought about it, the only reason the infamous Blood Hand Poison Emperor would move personally was for the Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense.

‘He hasn’t completed the Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense yet.’

The Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense would later become the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s perfect weapon.

With it, he would turn thousands of martial artists into blood pools, living up to his nickname.

Only after that incident would he truly earn the title Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

And the final ingredient needed to create that Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense exists right here in Jiangxi Territory.

The interesting thing was that, very fortunately,

I knew the source of that ingredient.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

I immediately left the estate.

Nanchang in Jiangxi, where the estate was located.

If you go west from here for just a bit, you’ll reach Poyang Lake, Jiangxi’s famous attraction.

Poyang Lake, with its overwhelming grandeur and clear waters, was a place packed with countless idle rich and tourists, leaving no room to step.

To what extent? It was the place with the most pleasure houses and inns in all the martial world.

The monthly revenue from Poyang Lake alone was enormous and wealthy enough to exceed the annual budget of any decent major sect.

Therefore, it was also a place still dominated by Dark Path forces operating in the shadows, avoiding the Zhu Family’s eyes.

“Poyang Lake? Young Master, are you planning to go to Poyang Lake?”

Mu Ying asked, watching me turn onto a familiar path.

I immediately shook my head.

“Not Poyang Lake yet. There’s a place I need to visit.”

If my memory was correct, the Blood Hand Poison Emperor was currently targeting the ‘Great Return Pill,’ which would become the core ingredient for Nine Flames Soul-Controlling Incense.

What is the Great Return Pill?

It’s the finest spiritual medicine in the martial world, created by the Zen monks of Great Shaolin.

The method of making it is top secret, naturally its removal is strictly forbidden, and it’s a spiritual medicine that even famous high monks can barely produce one pill per year through decades of Zen meditation.

However, that famous Great Return Pill is currently here in Jiangxi Territory.

The interesting thing is how such a spiritual medicine could become an ingredient for vicious poison.

That’s probably something only the poison-obsessed Blood Hand Poison Emperor would know.

‘After all, they say poison and medicine are separated by a hair’s breadth.’

It’s not strange at all.

Bizarre incidents are still happening countless times throughout martial history.

“Golden Tiger Gang?”

Soon I stopped in front of a large gate, and Mu Ying tilted his head while reading the signboard hanging above the door.

“Isn’t the Golden Tiger Gang one of the Dark Path factions that operates several pleasure houses at Poyang Lake?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

The Golden Tiger Gang was also under the Zhu Family’s management.

This meant everything from their actions to their performance was being reported to the Zhu Family.

Before Mu Ying could ask more questions, I immediately stepped into the Golden Tiger Gang.

“Who might you… Huh.”

The Golden Tiger Gang warrior who was blocking my way gasped in shock and stepped backward.

The clothes I was wearing were naturally martial robes with the Zhu Family’s emblem.

In other words, they could tell I was from the Zhu Family.

“What business brings someone from the Zhu Family to visit our faction?”

The warrior asked with a wary look.

“I’d like to have a conversation with your general manager or faction leader.”

“Really… a conversation?”

The warrior glanced at Mu Ying with extreme wariness.

For them, he was a warrior they couldn’t handle.

Since most of them were third-rate to second-rate warriors at best, it was a natural reaction.

“Should I just destroy the place instead?”

“N-no. I’ll bring someone right away.”

The warrior hurriedly ran inside.

I waited leisurely.

Soon, someone came running out breathlessly with the warrior.

“Oh my, who do we have here? What brings the Young Master of the Zhu Family to this place…?”

I’m already a famous figure in Jiangxi Territory.

A faction like the Golden Tiger Gang would naturally recognize me.

“Are you the general manager?”

“Yes, I’m the general manager of the Golden Tiger Gang. My name is Jang Saeng, Young Master.”

Jang Saeng immediately bowed his head to me.

With his cunning and extremely vicious appearance, he really looked like someone with a great greed for money.

“Please come inside, it’s humble but… haha.”

Jang Saeng bowed deeply at the waist and guided me inside.

Inside the Golden Tiger Gang, there were quite a lot of warriors present.

‘Twenty? Thirty?’

Still, the reason they could openly establish and live in this estate was all thanks to the Zhu Family’s consideration.

As long as they didn’t cross certain lines, the Zhu Family didn’t intervene.

If they started interfering in every little matter, the Dark Path’s resistance would only grow fiercer.

The Dark Path also knew this fact well, so they watched the Zhu Family’s mood and never crossed certain lines.

The Golden Tiger Gang was also one of those perceptive Dark Path factions.

“What brings you here…?”

Jang Saeng asked cautiously while reading my expression.

“Do you hold auctions here?”

“Pardon? Oh my, auctions. Wh-what kind of ridiculous thing are you… haha.”

He was slightly flustered just now.

I smiled meaningfully and shook my head.

“I’m not here to scold you or anything. I want to participate in that auction myself.”

“Pardon? Au-auction? The Zhu Family wants to participate directly? But then… no, that’s not it. Oh my, we absolutely never operated or even thought of running such illegal auction houses.”

“…”

Complete rambling.

“I’m serious. I want to participate. I need something.”

“Ne-need something… Ahem, a-are you serious? You’re not trying to punish us?”

“Yeah. I already know you’ve been running that auction house for several years.”

“Kheuk.”

This bastard, he must not have known about the Zhu Family’s intelligence network.

“You need to make a living too. It’s not like it greatly affects our commercial interests.”

That was exactly why the Zhu Family had turned a blind eye.

Jang Saeng bowed his head gratefully.

“Oh my, thank you. Really…”

“So, when do you open the auction house?”

“We open the auction house exactly once a month. The money that comes in from there is tremendous…”

“Really? Then can I see the list of items going up for auction?”

“Pardon?”

Jang Saeng was startled.

The items going up for auction weren’t exactly top secret.

Sometimes they deliberately spread rumors to attract more customers.

However, since the other party was the Zhu Family, it seemed quite awkward for him.

“Well, if it’s not possible, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll have to come with the Red Dragon Corps leader next time.”

“Hiiik!”

Jang Saeng gasped as if he was about to faint.

Mu Ying patted his back pitifully.

For Dark Path factions, there was no existence more terrifying than the Red Dragon Corps.

Because they were the Zhu Family’s vanguard and had the most warriors, they were tasked with external security duties.

“It’s fine! Of course it’s fine!”

Jang Saeng nodded frantically.

Then he immediately brought a list of items to be put up for auction.

“Hmm.”

“Is there something you’re looking for? If you tell me, I could secretly set it aside…”

“That would be meaningless.”

I smiled broadly.

“You said you hold auctions exactly once a month?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Didn’t some valuable item come in recently from Songshan?”

“Pardon? Songshan?”

Jang Saeng tilted his head in confusion, then clapped his hands and nodded.

“There is one thing. However, there’s no way to tell if it’s genuine or fake…”

“Don’t tell me that’s a Tracking Pill?”

“Hehehe, that’s right.”

Jang Saeng’s eyes sparkled.

There was no way to tell if it was genuine, but if the Young Master of the Zhu Family coveted it, the chances of it being real were very high.

“When will that item go up for auction?”

“Well, nothing’s been scheduled yet.”

Fortunately.

The Great Return Pill was still here.

In fact, you could say these were guys with real guts.

To dare possess something from Shaolin and even think of putting it up for auction.

However, ridiculously, Shaolin didn’t even know the Great Return Pill was missing.

‘If only Shaolin had kept their wits about them…’

It was because they were properly caught up in internal strife.

“Let’s put that thing… up for auction this time.”

“Pardon? That item?”

“Yeah. Spread some rumors too. If you say it’s an item from Songshan, how many customers will come running like moths to a flame?”

“Hmm.”

Jang Saeng pondered for a moment then nodded.

Shaolin was scary, but it didn’t matter anyway.

If they sold it properly, it was a fortune that could bring in five years’ worth of the Golden Tiger Gang’s profits in one go.

‘But…’

His eyes soon lit up.

“If Young Master needs it, we could sell it directly without putting it up for auction…”

“No, put it up for auction. I’ll buy it at a higher price.”

The rumors needed to spread.

That’s how the Blood Hand Poison Emperor would be lured in.

He wouldn’t be able to cause a commotion here where the Zhu Family was located, so he would definitely participate in the auction.

“If that’s what you want, I’m fine with it, but will it be alright? It won’t be just a few coins…”

“It doesn’t matter. Then schedule it and let me know. If I stay here too long, the Red Dragon Corps will move, so I should go now.”

“Yes, understood. I’ll send word separately.”

I nodded and left the place.

Still, I felt quite at ease now.

It was certain that the Blood Hand Poison Emperor hadn’t taken the Great Return Pill.

“Are you returning now?”

“No, there’s one more place I need to visit.”

Since I came all the way here, I couldn’t just leave without seeing Poyang Lake.

“Nice weather.”

I walked slowly toward Poyang Lake as if sightseeing.

​

* * *

​

Jiangxi Province, near Jade Flower Mountain in the central region.

There was a man in an old abandoned temple.

Inside the abandoned temple, all kinds of poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs hung dried up.

Among them, the man continuously tended to poisonous herbs while letting out soft laughter.

“Elder, this is Number 3.”

At that moment, a subordinate’s voice was heard from outside the door.

Despite receiving no answer, the subordinate opened the door and entered as if accustomed to it.

Then, lying flat on the ground, he spoke.

“Contact with Number 2 in Shaanxi has been lost. The Black Blood Group that went to provide support has also disappeared without a trace.”

“….”

At those words, the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s hand stopped in mid-air.

He slowly turned around.

Surprisingly, he had a considerably young appearance that didn’t match his status as an Elder.

“Contact with Number 2 has been lost?”

“Yes, Elder.”

In an instant, blue spots gleamed around the neck area of the prostrated Number 3.

“With the Prohibition Technique in place, he couldn’t harbor other thoughts… Hmm.”

His mind began working rapidly.

‘Could it be… we’ve been discovered?’

Number 2 was tasked with delivering the Heavy Relief Decoction to the Yu Family.

Considering that his reports had never been delayed by even a single day, something had definitely gone terribly wrong.

“Move the Burning Death Group to find Number 2. Do it secretly so that Mount Hua Sect doesn’t notice, so that the Yu Family doesn’t realize.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Number 3 bowed his head respectfully and left the room once again.

Only then did the Blood Hand Poison Emperor resume moving his stopped hand to tend to the poisonous herbs.

However, his expression was colder than ever before.

“I pray it’s not betrayal, Number 2.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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