The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 3

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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 (3)

Dinner

At my appearance, the servant immediately opened the door for me.

As I entered the Main Hall, a space that seemed both familiar and strange came into view.

‘Truly… refreshing.’

In this place, I had always received countless contemptuous looks and scoldings from Father.

Naturally, my feelings weren’t exactly pleasant.

I forced myself to smooth out my crumpled expression and stepped into the Main Hall.

“Hmm? Youngest…?”

“Huh? Did the sun rise from the west? What brings you here?”

There were already guests who had arrived before me in the Main Hall.

They were none other than Eldest Brother and the eldest son of the Zhu Family, Ju Seung-hyeok, and eldest sister Ju Seung-kyung.

The two were twins born from the same mother, and Eldest Brother became the older sibling by just a moment’s difference.

True to the typical characteristics of twins, the two looked quite similar, and they seemed to resemble their late Second Mother more than Father, who had strong features and a masculine temperament.

Of course, I had never met Second Mother.

When I was born, she was already no longer in this world.

Well, anyway, since I had never attended such gatherings before, their surprise at my appearance seemed even greater.

“Come here.”

Eldest Brother immediately welcomed me with a smiling face.

‘An upright person.’

Ju Seung-hyeok.

My half-brother who would ascend to the position of next family head.

Like his kind smile, he never lost his manners and possessed a compassionate and benevolent nature.

And that wasn’t all?

A genius among geniuses who grew up receiving all the expectations of the family elders.

Compared to me, whom even the family servants ignored, Eldest Brother was truly a chosen talent among talents.

“It’s been a long time, Brother.”

“…”

At my greeting, both Seung-hyeok and Seung-kyung showed shocked expressions.

‘Hmm, what’s strange about that?’

At their odd reaction, I frowned and tilted my head.

Meanwhile, eldest sister Seung-kyung couldn’t even hide her trembling facial muscles and muttered with a pale face.

“Cr-crazy. He’s finally gone crazy… hahaha…”

‘Is saying one greeting really that surprising?’

Well, thinking about my past self… eldest sister’s reaction wasn’t that strange either.

In my previous life, forget greetings—I was busy running away before our eyes could even meet.

“Haha, yes. Come sit down. It’s truly been a long time. Isn’t that right?”

As expected of Eldest Brother.

Beyond his warm voice, affection was clearly evident.

On the other hand…

“Are you still not sober?”

“…”

That damned eldest sister glared at me with fire in her eyes, growling.

She’s someone who’s always itching to devour me whenever she sees me.

Well, there’s nothing to gain from picking a fight, so let’s just ignore her lightly.

I immediately went and sat down in any empty seat.

Originally, the other siblings should have come too, but they, like me, found such gatherings uncomfortable.

What was it they said?

That we were born differently?

How ridiculous.

That’s when it happened.

A servant slightly opened the door and called out.

“The Family Head is entering.”

At the servant’s voice, both Brother and Sister stood up from their seats with stiff expressions.

Naturally, I stood up too.

“We greet the Family Head.”

The Family Head, Ju Tae-seong.

He entered.

I coldly surveyed the surroundings.

‘She couldn’t come, as expected?’

Foster Mother was ill and found it difficult to attend such gatherings.

The person I was looking for was none other than Third Mother and the Family Head’s third wife, Namgung Yi-hwa.

Perhaps her absence was due to the particular pride that noble families possess.

‘Their relationship was particularly bad.’

Her characteristically arrogant nature was enough to make even Father frown.

If not for the family’s political reasons, given Father’s personality, he would never have taken Namgung Yi-hwa as his wife.

Anyway, as her name suggested, Namgung Yi-hwa was of Namgung Family blood.

Haughty and arrogant, she enjoyed intimidating subordinates within the Zhu Clan by invoking her family’s name.

‘Actually, this worked out well.’

If she had been here, I wouldn’t have known where the food I was eating was going.

Rather, it was fortunate that she didn’t come.

“Sit down.”

Ju Tae-seong sat down first, and at his command, the remaining siblings sat down in unison.

Just as he was taking his first spoonful, he looked at Seung-hyeok and casually spoke.

“The eldest son has broken through the 5th level.”

Among the family’s martial arts, if Zhu Wall Divine Art was the basic internal cultivation method, then the more advanced internal cultivation method was Zhu Heaven Divine Technique.

Naturally, it enabled the manifestation of divine power so superior that it couldn’t even be compared to something like Zhu Wall Divine Art.

Ju Seung-hyeok was a monster who had already mastered the 5th level of such Zhu Heaven Divine Technique.

He was an unprecedented genius with no peers among his contemporaries.

“Congratulations, Brother.”

“Congratulations, big brother.”

Sister Seung-kyung and I immediately bowed our heads toward Brother to congratulate him.

Eldest Brother was called the Sword Dragon among the current martial world’s Five Dragons.

Having inherited Father’s position in swordsmanship, it was nothing short of the family’s great fortune.

‘He certainly had tremendous talent in Martial Arts.’

I had no choice but to acknowledge Eldest Brother’s Martial Arts.

Ju Seung-hyeok’s age had just passed thirty.

Breaking through the 5th level of Zhu Heaven Divine Technique at that age was an tremendous achievement.

Even Father, who was called the Sword Master, had not yet achieved the 5th level when he was Brother’s age.

“Continue to train diligently.”

For that taciturn Father to say such a thing meant everything had been said.

“Thank you, Father.”

Ju Tae-seong slowly turned his eyes and soon met mine.

For a moment, a strange light flashed and disappeared in his eyes.

It was a very brief moment.

“Woo Jin.”

Instantly, all conversation at the dinner table stopped.

All gazes focused on me.

Those gazes were cold, heavy, and like a well-sharpened Sword.

“You spent another night at a Pleasure House.”

Even the air froze solid.

“I feel that even words to scold you would be a waste.”

Damn, it feels like the rice I was eating got stuck in my throat.

There’s nowhere to look.

‘If this was going to happen, you should have said something during the day.’

Sure enough, both Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister were looking back and forth between me and Father with anxious expressions.

The chopsticks they had been holding were set down long ago.

“Huu.”

Father let out a small sigh.

As expected, what reflected in his eyes was a matter-of-fact disappointment.

There’s nothing to feel wronged about.

This is all self-inflicted.

Because of what I’ve done all this time.

‘In the past, I would have already stormed off and run away.’

It was laughable.

What was this even about.

To think I never reflected on myself and just blamed others unconditionally.

Wasn’t that utterly foolish?

“I apologize, Family Head. I will ensure that… such things never happen again.”

“…!”

“…!”

The atmosphere in the room changed with my single statement.

I could feel even that stone-like Father looking at me with a slightly surprised expression.

‘I just need to change. Starting from now.’

I picked up my chopsticks with vigor.

Whether they were giving me strange looks from the side or not, the home-cooked meal I was eating after so long was absolutely delicious.

In the familiar silence, the bleak mealtime quietly passed by.

​

* * *

​

It wasn’t exactly a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

After finishing the meal, Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister remained in the Main Hall at Father’s words to stay, while I left that place as I was.

Today I only received scolding again, but actually it didn’t matter much.

No, rather I felt good.

‘It’s because he has affection for me that he scolds me at all.’

Because I knew how much attention Father had paid to me.

I glanced around briefly, then slowly headed toward my Personal Quarters.

After entering my quarters, I quietly looked down at my forearm.

The goosebumps that were still eerily raised.

‘What the hell was that?’

I recalled that sensation that had stood on end when I entered the Main Hall before the meal.

My current achievement is merely the 2nd level of Zhu Wall Divine Art.

How much must I have neglected martial arts training to be at only the 2nd level at the age of fifteen?

‘Sister Seunggyeong had already mastered the 12th level of Zhu Wall Divine Art at my age.’

The gap was huge.

Anyway, the important thing is that I felt the killing intent of the Dragon Guard Warriors with just the 2nd level of Zhu Wall Divine Art…

‘That’s impossible.’

Something had happened that I couldn’t understand at all with my current mind.

The gap between the Dragon Guard Warriors and my current martial arts level is like heaven and earth.

If they were the sky, then I would be the ground… no, not even the ground, I wouldn’t even reach the depths below.

The levels would need to be somewhat similar to even feel that killing intent.

“Certainly, there’s no way to explain it other than as a change that occurred from my regression.”

Right now, I can only think that way.

If not, then I would have become someone with monster-like senses that couldn’t be explained at all.

It’s not like I could suddenly achieve enlightenment while drinking.

“Huu.”

I shook off my thoughts and sat down.

While I was at it, I needed to check my internal condition first.

I sat cross-legged and placed my hands in a round shape like holding a bowl below my navel, at the lower dantian.

Then I immediately recited the incantation formula of Zhu Wall Divine Art and concentrated my mind.

Woong!

With a faint vibration, my lower dantian trembled.

Since I hadn’t even circulated energy for so long, my body was completely full of impure energy.

‘Let me drive out the impure energy first.’

The impure energies were clumped together very solidly throughout my blood vessels like ingrained grime.

It was a natural result of enjoying alcohol and meat while being obsessed with women and neglecting martial arts.

Kuwoong!

A heavy shock as if my body was sinking struck my entire body hard.

The amount of impure energy accumulated in my blood vessels was enormous.

‘Ugh, damn.’

With my weak internal energy, it seemed I couldn’t even wash away all that impure energy.

‘Is there no choice?’

I slowly opened my eyes.

With just Zhu Wall Divine Art, I couldn’t even touch the impure energy inside my body.

Because it was solidly clumped and tangled, properly coiled and settled.

But was there no method?

No.

I was already someone who had achieved mutual destruction with the injured Heavenly Demon in my previous life.

Having achieved that level, I knew even greater techniques.

‘Dragon Heaven True Energy.’

An overwhelming energy that could look down even upon the Zhu Heaven Divine Technique that Eldest Brother had learned.

One of the supreme techniques of the three families, the supreme mental cultivation method that remained just below Azure Heaven Descending Dragon Energy, which only the family head could learn.

Of course, it might catch the attention of other adults, but there were ways to deal with that too.

‘Since Zhu Wall Divine Art also has quite rough energy.’

I just needed to raise the level of Zhu Wall Divine Art at the same time.

There was nothing better than Zhu Wall Divine Art for deception.

‘Here I go.’

I immediately placed my left hand slightly cupped below my navel.

Then I raised my right hand in a half-palm position, hovering it at a distance from my solar plexus.

It was like a dragon holding a mystical orb and ascending to heaven.

Kwareureung!

As soon as I recited the incantation formula, my dantian began trembling like crazy.

I remembered the flow of true energy and drew the energies spread throughout my entire meridian system into my dantian.

In that process, the accumulated impure energies broke apart into small pieces and dispersed.

‘As expected.’

I cheered inwardly.

No matter how solid the impure energy was, it couldn’t even raise its head before Dragon Heaven True Energy.

That’s when it happened.

Kuwoong!

The nature of the energy that had been flowing smoothly suddenly changed completely.

With a tremendous shock, the flow of energy entering my dantian became even more violent.

‘Huh?’

In my panic, I hurriedly began to expel the energy.

But the energy wouldn’t leave my body, continuing to flow through all the meridians in my body.

This was impossible.

‘Damn, what the hell is this…’

I couldn’t think straight at all.

My body trembled violently, and my bones ached as if they would shatter.

The blood vessels throughout my body expanded terrifyingly, and the amount of energy rushing through them increased exponentially.

1st stage, 2nd stage.

Breaking through the 3rd stage in an instant, the energy continued to flow endlessly through my blood vessels and accumulate in my dantian.

Tremble, tremble, tremble.

My jaw shook involuntarily.

It was terrifying, so terrifying.

A cold, ice-like sensation crawled through my bones, making every nerve in my body stand on edge.

Something was wrong.

This wasn’t Dragon Heaven True Energy.

No, it was Dragon Heaven True Energy, but it had properties that couldn’t be called Dragon Heaven True Energy.

How should I describe this?

Yes, this was like…

‘Heavenly Demon.’

This was the energy he possessed.

Demonic energy.

The heavy weight rushing in like a tidal wave was definitely the presence of demonic energy.

The symbol of terror I could never forget began to accumulate steadily within my body.

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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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