The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 16

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

Youngest Master of the Zhu Family (16)

Encounter

After the auction at Blue Sea Pavilion ended, the noisy crowd quickly dispersed.

I was slowly walking through the dark corridors of Blue Sea Pavilion, wearing a mask with the Great Return Pill I had obtained for the enormous sum of seventy thousand nyang tucked in my chest.

That’s when it happened.

“Congratulations, Young Master.”

A calm voice with a strangely deep resonance.

It was the same voice I had heard in the auction hall earlier.

It was none other than the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

‘He’s moving faster than I expected.’

I had been thinking about several possibilities regarding the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s appearance, but he chose to reveal himself openly.

He must have been quite desperate.

I leisurely stopped walking and turned my head.

A man in black clothes with a face covering below his face—it was definitely the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

Though he wore a face covering, killing intent and poison qi that couldn’t be hidden were subtly leaking out.

“I was just a bit lucky.”

I deliberately composed my expression and answered nonchalantly.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor looked at me and began slowly approaching.

One step, then another step.

With each step he took, killing intent naturally arose within me.

‘Endure it.’

Remembering clearly the terrible bloodshed he had committed in my previous life, I couldn’t easily calm down.

However, I still had to endure it.

‘Because the Blood Hand Poison Emperor isn’t the end.’

That bastard is merely the starting point of the real disaster.

It’s just the Heavenly Demon’s very first plan to kill Mother and weaken the Zhu Family’s power.

Thud.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor stopped in front of me.

Just three zhang away.

A distance where I could reach his heart with just one step forward.

My heart pounded violently.

I worried that he might hear my heartbeat.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to hear it, as the Blood Hand Poison Emperor stared down at me and opened his mouth.

“Do you know what that thing in your chest is?”

Sharp killing intent was hidden within his polite tone.

A very sinister and inconspicuous dirty murderous intent.

The desire reflected in his eyes was clearly murderous intent.

‘Still the same.’

The corners of my mouth naturally curled up.

He had lost one of the seven Blue Longevity People, and even the Black Blood Group was completely annihilated.

If he failed to obtain even the Great Return Pill, he would die at the Heavenly Demon’s hands.

The Heavenly Demon wasn’t merciful enough to keep around a fool who couldn’t produce any results.

“Well, if it’s a treasure from Songshan that everyone knows about, wouldn’t it be that thing?”

I nodded calmly with a relaxed smile.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s expression was quite a sight to see as I made a face as if provoking him, as if boasting that I had what he wanted.

“Seventy thousand nyang… I’ll give you double that. How about it?”

I chuckled at the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s words.

“If you had that kind of money, why didn’t you raise the bid in there? Why are you doing this now?”

Since he dropped formalities, I did too.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor hesitated for a moment, then smiled coldly.

“You can’t carry around that much money, can you? That should be the same for you, Young Master?”

Of course, I didn’t have seventy thousand nyang.

Instead, because Jang Saeng knew my identity.

We agreed to pay later, trusting the Zhu Family’s name, but the Blood Hand Poison Emperor couldn’t have known that fact.

“I have enough money at my quarters, and I can even pay in gold if you want.”

“…”

I pretended to think.

Follow him to his quarters?

That would be tantamount to suicide.

‘Even if he hasn’t made the Nine Flame Soul Control Incense yet, that’s not the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s only weapon.’

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor was clearly one of the Twelve Demon Emperors.

The poison qi he possessed was truly formidable.

‘Although I’ve learned Dragon Heaven True Energy…’

That was only at the 9th level.

It was far too weak an energy to deal with the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

“What reason do I have to trust you and follow you?”

“…”

At my words, the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s expression hardened.

“How about this? If you come to my house personally, I’ll gladly give this to you.”

To catch a tiger, you must enter the tiger’s den?

Hah, ridiculous.

I have no intention of entering a den when I’m not up to the task.

To catch a tiger, I’ll lure the tiger to a dragon’s quarters.

“For a young master to have such poor judgment of situations. Tsk tsk.”

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor smiled coldly and straightened up.

Then, Mu Ying immediately blocked his path.

“The guard is impressive, but that’s all. If I kill both the young master and the guard here and take what’s in your chest, who could stop me?”

That’s right.

This is the martial world.

A place where it’s natural for people to kill each other out of greed, as the Blood Hand Poison Emperor said.

“You’re right.”

But he can’t kill me.

“But wouldn’t you fear the consequences?”

“…”

He can say that because he doesn’t know me.

“You’re currently threatening to kill a direct descendant of the Zhu Family.”

“…Zhu Family?”

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s expression properly contorted.

Seeing the always confident bastard flustered was quite entertaining.

‘You died by my hand in my previous life anyway.’

Though I nearly died falling into his trap, I ultimately won.

Now is no different.

No, rather, I’m in a more advantageous situation.

‘Now the situation is reversed.’

Now I know him, and he doesn’t know that I know him.

This is the most lethal weapon.

“My face is my business card, and my status is the guarantee that proves my words. One hundred forty thousand nyang… no, since my mood has soured, I’ll raise it to one hundred fifty thousand. Whether it’s gold, bank notes, or cash, bring one hundred fifty thousand nyang and find the Zhu Family.”

I said those words and turned around.

I saw the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s hand twitch, but I deliberately ignored it.

‘You absolutely cannot make a move here.’

To deal with me, the Heavenly Demon’s permission was absolutely necessary.

If that bastard moved recklessly now… the Zhu Family might move first.

‘Go ahead and try if you dare.’

Gritting my teeth, I turned around and left the auction house.

Though I didn’t show it, I was equally tense.

After coming out, I saw that I had gripped my hands so tightly that nail marks and a bit of blood had seeped from my palms.

Still, I had perfectly seized the initiative.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor would definitely come looking for me.

​

* * *

​

A day passed in an instant.

The noble family remained quiet without any incidents.

“Young Master.”

Mu Ying approached me after I finished cultivation.

“What is it.”

“I wanted to ask yesterday, but your expression was so poor I couldn’t bring myself to ask…”

It must be about the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

I looked at Mu Ying and gave him a faint smile.

“That man yesterday… something felt off about him.”

“That feeling. It was accurate. That bastard… is completely insane.”

“He definitely harbored killing intent when he looked at you, Young Master. Moreover…”

Mu Ying bit his lips tightly.

“If that man had made a move, I’m not sure I could have stopped him.”

He had hesitated.

For a warrior, that hesitation is fatal.

Especially for a Guard Warrior.

“Even if we both attacked together, we couldn’t catch that bastard, let alone scratch him. For now… Eldest Brother or at least someone at the head level would need to step in.”

“He was… that strong?”

Mu Ying clenched his fist tightly.

I had expected it, but he was a formidable opponent far beyond expectations.

“You don’t need to worry. If that bastard sets foot in the estate, I’ll kill him.”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you so surprised? That bastard must die.”

“But what did he do… even if we knew, without clear evidence, we can’t just…”

“Bullshit.”

I openly showed my derision.

At my cold smile, Mu Ying also closed his mouth and quietly watched me.

“That’s why the Orthodox Faction is no good. That damn justification. Even when justification arises, they won’t use lethal methods for fear of harming their dignity and prestige.”

“…”

“That’s why they get backstabbed by Unorthodox Faction bastards and end up…”

Completely destroyed.

Even if we completely reformed this stuffy and foolish mentality, it would be questionable whether they could match the Demonic Cult.

Despairingly, this Orthodox Faction mindset was already too deeply rooted to escape from.

And I had no intention whatsoever of changing them.

‘A waste of time.’

Hoping for them to change was like asking the Demonic Cult to not be greedy and just stay buried in the barren lands of Xinjiang.

I had no intention of wasting my energy on such impossible tasks.

“Sigh, forget it.”

I got up from my seat and headed toward Insu Hall.

To receive a guest, shouldn’t I provide appropriate hospitality?

​

* * *

​

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s hideout.

He was tapping his index finger in his Personal Quarters, lost in thought.

“The Zhu Family…”

He recalled that brazen brat he had seen last night.

That bastard who took the Great Return Pill for seventy thousand nyang.

“Must be that Lady Yu’s son. There’s no other kid of that age in the Zhu Family.”

The situation was truly coincidental.

One Blue Longevity Person stationed at the Yu Family Estate in Shaanxi had died, and even the Black Blood Group had been completely annihilated.

Thanks to that, he could no longer make moves against the Yu Family Estate.

Not stopping there, this time the Zhu Family had taken away the Great Return Pill he had been targeting?

“Could this really be a coincidence?”

A strange smile spread across the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s lips.

It was truly an interesting situation.

Moreover, wasn’t he directly calling him out?

“Who is it? The Sword Master? No. If it were the Sword Master, he would move directly rather than using his young son for schemes behind the scenes… Eldest Young Master Ju Seung-hyeok? Or… Grand Elder Ju Sang-geon?”

No answer came.

But what was clear was that he would be entering the Zhu Family Estate.

Perhaps the Zhu Family had noticed his existence.

But there would be no clear evidence.

“Fine, if you’re going to call me in, I’ll gladly respond.”

He had no intention of avoiding it.

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor rose from his seat.

Then, different shadows stirred behind him.

“Call in all the Blue Longevity People. The Red Longevity Group and Black Longevity Group. Tell them all to stop their current missions and come in.”

“Yes, Poison Emperor.”

One shadow bowed toward the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

He was enjoying this very situation.

​

* * *

​

Splash.

The sound of liquid sloshing came from inside the small bottle.

“Perfect.”

I slightly opened the bottle’s cap and smelled the scent rising from within.

Along with a very fragrant and sweet smell, my mind instantly became clear.

That wasn’t all.

The entire Insu Hall where I had manufactured this medicine was deeply permeated with a fragrant and sweet aroma.

It was a great success.

“Young Master.”

Hall Master Heo Su-kyung approached me.

Her eyes seemed entranced and dazed.

“What… what is that?”

“This?”

I lifted the bottle to let her hear the sloshing sound.

“A gift to present to an honored guest.”

“But what kind of guest would warrant using a Great Return Pill as material…”

“You’ll get hurt if you know.”

I holed up in Insu Hall for two days and barely managed to create it.

The thing the Blood Hand Poison Emperor wants most.

Right now, I possess something that even the Blood Hand Poison Emperor has only thought about but never been able to create.

Without the memories of my previous life, this would have been absolutely impossible to make.

I turned around with the medicine bottle tucked inside my robes, leaving behind the puzzled Heo Su-kyung.

Exactly as I had suffered.

I will hunt the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

All preparations are complete.

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