The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 20

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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 (20)

Ripples

At the Zhu Family Estate, the gazes of everyone—servants and warriors alike—had changed.

This wasn’t something only I was feeling.

“Young Master, it seems you’re receiving quite a bit of attention.”

Mu Ying stood beside me and whispered quietly.

The murmuring of the Inner Court Warriors beyond the training ground wall could be heard all the way here.

I could also feel the glances stealing looks at me from beyond the wall.

“It can’t be helped. The Red Dragon Squad moved.”

Rumors had spread throughout the Zhu Family Estate.

Specifically, rumors that I—the good-for-nothing without a brain—had captured a Demon Cultist.

Fortunately, Father had moved quickly, and it seemed the important context about the Twelve Demon Emperors had been erased.

In any case, the rumor about capturing a Demon Cultist seemed to have given the warriors quite a fresh shock.

“Sigh, what a shame though.”

I clicked my tongue and stood up from my seat.

The breakthrough to the 10th level was right before my eyes.

It hadn’t been long since I reached the 9th level, yet the threshold of the 10th level was already flickering before me.

‘Real combat.’

This tremendous development speed was naturally due to real combat experience.

The effect was further amplified by the deep enlightenment and profound principles of martial studies I had gained in my previous life.

‘Even so, this is an abnormal speed.’

It wasn’t for nothing that the Orthodox Faction was wary of Demonic Arts.

This ridiculous growth speed was naturally so remarkable that it was even frightening.

‘The more blood I encounter, the stronger I become.’

That was my definition and conclusion about Demonic Arts.

Real combat—the more I encounter blood, the stronger the Demonic Arts become.

While maintaining the original characteristics of Dragon Heaven True Energy, the foundation of my internal energy is Demonic Arts?

‘The destructive power would be no joke.’

Currently, there were virtually no opponents among my peers who could be compared to me.

If I were to look for them, perhaps only Eldest Brother and that monster of the Namgung Family?

“Young Master, I’ve prepared water for you to wash. Please hurry and clean up.”

While I was floundering in my thoughts, Dan-hee approached me.

“Ah, right.”

I immediately stood up and headed to my personal quarters.

Dan-hee never entered within a certain distance.

As I moved, Dan-hee followed behind.

I glanced back and asked.

“How old are you?”

“I’m fifteen, Young Master.”

Fifteen.

The same age as me.

“Your parents?”

“They’re not here.”

“Hm?”

“They’ve already passed away. Originally, they both worked as escort warriors for the Ju-kyung Trading Company.”

“Ah… I see.”

The Ju-kyung Trading Company was a trading company operated by the Zhu Clan.

It was mainly a company that supplied spirit medicines to the Zhu Family warriors, so if they were escort warriors there, their skills would have been quite decent.

‘Were they attacked by bandits?’

Despite not having parents, Dan-hee was quite mature.

At only fifteen years old, she had taken the position of head of household, having to take responsibility for even her younger sibling who was five years younger.

‘I…’

I hadn’t been that mature.

In my previous life, when I came of age, after my family was destroyed, I was paralyzed by fear for over a year and couldn’t do anything.

But here she was, only fifteen years old, with such a composed attitude.

“…Y-Young Master?”

As I continued to look at Dan-hee, she seemed somewhat anxious and called out to me in an uneasy voice while covering her chest area.

“Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment…”

“L-lost in th-thought?”

“Hm? Ah, I didn’t mean it that way. You just seemed admirable.”

At those words, Dan-hee looked surprised and tilted her head.

“I haven’t done anything admirable though?”

“You lost your parents at that age and are taking responsibility for your younger sibling. That’s admirable.”

“Is it?”

Dan-hee kept tilting her head.

It didn’t seem particularly surprising to her.

“Well, I suppose Young Master might feel that way.”

At those words, I became curious instead.

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t mean anything special. It’s just… among my peers around me, this isn’t particularly special. There are so many children who have lost their parents.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. Rather, to me, it’s a natural thing.”

A natural thing.

Those words remained in my heart.

For them, losing their parents and being left alone in the world might indeed be a natural thing.

In other words, children like Dan-hee might already be prepared.

For the day when they would be left alone in the world.

“Still… thank you. It was the first time I heard such words.”

Dan-hee bowed her head politely to me.

Since I had never really talked with her in my previous life, I had few remaining memories.

But her personality seemed like it would get along quite well with mine.

​

I washed my body with the prepared water and changed into new martial robes.

Then I entered my room and quietly organized my thoughts.

‘This is where it truly begins.’

I had captured the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

I had rested enough, so now I had to prepare for the Demonic Cult’s movements once again.

‘The Blood Hand Poison Emperor stupidly got all his subordinates killed.’

There were no captives.

I had told Red Dragon Squad Leader Ju Yu-ran that they all had to be killed, and Yu-ran had readily accepted that request.

It was precisely because of that reason that I had asked Yu-ran, and no one else.

‘If it had been others, they would have been very troublesome, saying we should capture them for torture, or that we couldn’t just kill them…’

Yu-ran, on the other hand, was different.

She was a woman who was bold, hot-tempered, and didn’t think too deeply.

While that had its downsides, she was definitely the most convenient person for me to use.

‘My name will be cleverly concealed. Yu-ran will probably become the target.’

The Demon Cultists would definitely not stay still.

Especially the Twelve Demon Emperors who had received the Emperor’s position.

‘Among them, a Demon Cultist who had a special connection with the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.’

Immediately, a single figure came to mind.

In my previous life, right after I killed the Blood Hand Poison Emperor, that madman who pursued me relentlessly.

‘Killing Lord, Do Gon.’

That bastard had quite a unique relationship with the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

He was also the reason why the Blood Hand Poison Emperor, who only knew poison, could create a military force.

‘The martial arts learned by the Black Water Group and Red Water Group were mainly blade techniques that came from Do Gon.’

The Blood Hand Poison Emperor would manufacture spirit medicine and give it to Do Gon.

In return for that, Do Gon would give his martial arts to the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.

On the surface, it was just that kind of relationship.

“Brothers.”

The fact that they were actually blood brothers was something only fellow Twelve Demon Emperors or the Heavenly Demon knew.

Do Gon, driven mad by his younger brother’s death, immediately pursued me, and after fighting him for three whole days and nights, I finally managed to cut off his head by a hair’s breadth.

‘I really won by a trivial mistake. If it had gone to the very end, perhaps… I might have lost.’

That’s how strong Do Gon is.

At that time, under Do Gon’s blade strikes, I could barely keep my wits about me.

‘Of course, there was also the reason that the Blood Hand Poison Emperor’s poison hadn’t been detoxified…’

Whatever the reason, Do Gon is definitely a formidable opponent.

‘If he fights Yu-ran now, Yu-ran will surely lose.’

Like most demon cultists, Do Gon especially never leaves his opponents alive.

He would even inflict as much pain as possible before killing them.

If she stays within the Zhu Family Estate, there would be no problem, but the issue is Yu-ran.

She’s not a woman who would listen even if I told her.

“This is troublesome.”

But just abandoning Yu-ran wouldn’t be right either.

Since I made her get involved in this matter out of necessity, taking responsibility is only natural.

“What should I do?”

Just as my worries were deepening, Dan-hee came looking for me.

“Young Master, the Family Head is looking for you.”

“…”

Sigh, well, let me think about this slowly for now.

The Red Dragon Unit will be busy with Father’s orders anyway.

I immediately stood up and headed to Sword Soul Hall.

​

* * *

​

The security around Sword Soul Hall was different from usual.

‘It’s incredible.’

I could sense quite a lot of presences.

It seemed like all the Ascending Dragon Units that had been deployed outside had returned.

“Family Head, this is Woo Jin.”

Instead of a servant, I called out from outside the door first.

“Come in.”

Father’s voice came from inside.

I took a light deep breath and then stepped into the Great Hall.

Father wasn’t alone in the Great Hall.

‘The Elders?’

Except for a few Elders who had gone on external missions, all three Elders were present.

The first person who caught my eye was Grand Elder Ju Sang-geon.

Deep eyes whose thoughts were unreadable and a cold expression.

He’s someone who always looks down at me with a chilly gaze, as if seeing me or not.

He’s my grand uncle, and among the Elders, he’s the only one who isn’t Father’s brother.

Since Father’s brothers, that is, my uncles, are all equally outstanding, he took on the position of Grand Elder to mediate any potential conflicts or fights that might arise between them… Perhaps because of that, his expression seemed full of annoyance.

“Come here.”

The person who greeted me with a warm smile was Fifth Elder, Ju Tae-hwi.

He’s my youngest uncle and one of the Elders in the Zhu Family who supports me.

He’s always busy with work and rarely comes to the main house, but he must have been here this time for some reason.

Lastly, there was the Elder who was emanating a cold aura while looking at me.

Third Elder, Ju Tae-cheon.

He’s an Elder who supports that young master, so naturally… he extremely dislikes and despises me.

Seeing how he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence brings back old memories.

“It’s been a while, Elders.”

I gave a light bow and stood in the center of the Great Hall.

As if it were a spot prepared just for me.

The Elders were positioned to sit in a circle around me.

Father, who sat in the highest seat, opened his mouth.

“I heard and saw all of the Red Dragon Unit’s reports yesterday at dawn.”

“…”

Dead silence.

“They didn’t seem like ordinary demon cultists. Do you happen to know something?”

At Father’s question, I pondered for a moment.

‘Will they believe me?’

I was wondering whether I should tell them that the Demon Cult is operating in secret.

The Demon Cult’s problem isn’t just the Zhu Family’s problem.

They’re not ordinary demon cultists, and the appearance of the Demon Cult is a tremendously serious event that the entire martial world should be tense about.

‘No.’

I made up my mind.

If I rashly bring up talk about the Demon Cult, they might become wary.

Father would send official letters to all the martial families and sects throughout the martial world, and the Demon Cult’s spies hidden among them would report that to the Heavenly Demon.

‘If they go into hiding, it’s over. We won’t know when or how they’ll strike.’

Hadn’t I directly witnessed the Heavenly Demon’s terrifying martial prowess?

Countless renowned masters of the martial world became mere souls wandering the nine heavens at the Heavenly Demon’s hands.

Such a thing… must never happen again.

‘I need to move within the scope of what I can predict. This time… I must completely finish off the Demon Cult.’

I raised my head confidently and told a lie.

“I don’t know exactly. However, I do know that they dared to try to harm my mother.”

“Where and how did you find that out? Report in detail.”

It was a question from Grand Elder Ju Sang-geon.

His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through my entire body.

I answered calmly.

“I visited Mother and felt that her condition was more critical than usual. Just in case, I investigated the herbal decoctions Mother takes, starting from Insu Hall, and I even went to her maternal family home to find their source. That’s all.”

I had hidden the important parts, but everything I said was true.

I had cleverly spoken around it.

The Elders were quiet.

Ju Sang-geon looked at the Family Head and said quietly.

“This is a case where they dared to try to harm the Foster Mother of the main house. I will naturally follow whatever decision the Family Head makes.”

At Ju Sang-geon’s words, Family Head Ju Tae-seong politely bowed his head to express his gratitude.

“The meeting ends here.”

After Ju Tae-seong finished speaking, the Elders left the Great Hall one by one.

After all the Elders had left, I too quietly tried to follow behind them.

But then.

“Woo Jin.”

Father’s cold voice reached my ears.

When I turned around, Father was looking down at me with that same indifferent gaze as always.

He slowly approached me.

And quietly grabbed my shoulder.

“You….”

The moment Father opened his mouth, an inexplicable sense of intimidation bound my entire body.

He quietly opened his mouth.

“What are you hiding?”

As if he knew everything, Father’s cold gaze pierced deep into my lungs.

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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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