The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 34
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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 (34)
Eldest Young Master
Ju Seung-hyeok.
Now just past the age of coming of age, he received the title of Sword Dragon at the age of twenty.
Among the rising talents of the later generation, those with outstanding abilities were called Dragons and Phoenixes respectively, and there were a total of five who received the title of Dragon in the current martial world.
Sword Dragon, Ju Seung-hyeok of the Zhu Family Estate.
Fist Dragon, the first disciple of Shaolin, Monk Mua.
Palm Dragon, the first disciple of Wudang Sect, Master Byeokgong.
Spear Dragon, the successor of the Shandong Jo Family, Jo Eop.
Golden Dragon, the heir of the Tianxia Trading Company, Geum Hwi-ak.
Conversely, there were only three women who received the title of Phoenix.
In any case, even combining Dragons and Phoenixes, there were only two rising talents from the great families.
Given such circumstances, how delighted were the people of the great families when Ju Seung-hyeok received the title of Sword Dragon?
However…
After that, Ju Seung-hyeok ceased his activities.
He didn’t even attend the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, which was exclusively for Dragons and Phoenixes, nor did he hone his martial arts through martial journeys, and he didn’t have any notable achievements either.
People in the world said:
The Sword Master was secretly making him undergo secluded cultivation.
But that wasn’t true.
Ju Seung-hyeok had truly ceased his activities.
And he was holed up in the great family estate, never venturing out.
The reason why this once-promising talent had become like this was nothing else.
The Anak Massacre.
In the massacre that occurred in Anak, Shandong, Ju Seung-hyeok earned the title of Sword Dragon.
However, conversely, after that day, he could never wield a sword again.
* * *
Ju Seung-hyeok’s personal quarters, Silver Virtue Hall.
After Woo Jin’s visit, Seung-hyeok’s worries deepened even more.
Becoming the Young Family Head.
What was the position of Young Family Head?
It was a position where one could become the next Family Head, the only position where one could receive successor training and be taught the family’s ultimate techniques.
It wasn’t something one could just become by wanting it, and one could only become Young Family Head after possessing the qualifications and abilities.
Moreover, if one became Young Family Head, they would learn the duties that existed within the great family.
In other words, it meant leading the great family together with the Family Head.
Naturally, such authority and power would follow, but instead, an even heavier sense of responsibility came with it.
“Are you going to give that position to your younger brothers?”
His wife, Ye Ga-in, asked casually.
“Well, I don’t know anymore.”
“Why? What did the youngest young master say?”
At Ga-in’s worried question, Seung-hyeok pondered for a moment before chuckling.
“That guy… told me to become the Young Family Head.”
“…What? That’s unexpected?”
At those words, Ga-in’s expression brightened.
For her, she had actually been feeling that Seung-hyeok’s position was unstable.
“To think that Woo Jin would say such things to me now. Ha, this is something.”
Seung-hyeok seemed embarrassed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Beside him was Seol-ah, sleeping soundly.
“During the Anak Massacre… I thought that incident was my fault. That still hasn’t changed. But…”
“…You know it wasn’t your fault. Those people were the ones who did wrong.”
“Sigh, so I was too conflicted.”
Seung-hyeok smiled gently.
“That guy Woo Jin seemed to know my worries. As if reproaching me for living so miserably over such a trivial matter.”
“…”
Ga-in nodded silently while listening to those words.
She had always respected Seung-hyeok’s choices.
It was the same now.
That he was just taking a break.
That he would get better again soon.
“I’ll be busy starting tomorrow. The martial competition begins.”
“That’s right, after the Tianxia Festival ends, you’ll be going to the archipelago now, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back soon.”
“Always take care of yourself first. Don’t worry about us.”
At those words, Seung-hyeok gently embraced Ga-in’s shoulders.
Unlike his smiling expression, his mind was in quite a complicated state.
* * *
The next day.
The morning of the Zhu Family Tianxia Festival dawned.
The warriors of the Zhu Family gathered one by one onto the platform with solemn expressions.
Boom! Boom!
Along with the drum sounds announcing the start of the martial competition, people gathered at the Great Training Ground of the Zhu Family.
Two days had passed since the Tianxia Festival began.
Gathering in small groups and chatting with each other, they celebrated the prosperity of the Zhu Family together.
“Hello? Fellow martial artists from all over.”
A woman with a bright impression.
It was Ju Yu-kyung, the general manager of the Zhu Family Estate.
She climbed onto the platform and shouted with energy toward everyone.
“You’ve all probably been waiting for this day the most. Let me explain a few rules of the martial competition.”
Soon, Ju Yu-kyung’s explanation began.
I was watching that scene from a place far from the platform.
“Mu Ying.”
And I immediately called Mu Ying.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“How many of them could you defeat?”
“Hmm, I’ve never thought about it…”
Mu Ying began to ponder with a serious expression.
‘First-rate peak level.’
Mu Ying’s current level was first-rate peak.
As a member of the Ascending Dragon Corps, considering that his age hadn’t even reached twenty yet, it was certainly an impressive level.
After a moment, Mu Ying spoke.
“If it’s the Red Dragon Corps level, I think I could defeat all of them except about five…”
“Who are those five?”
“Of course the Red Dragon Squad Leader, the Vice Squad Leaders. And I can’t beat the Squad Leaders of squads 1, 2, and 3.”
“You can win against the others?”
“I think it would be worth trying.”
Mu Ying showed confidence.
Well, considering his skills, he had assessed quite accurately.
Anyway, the martial tournament doesn’t use internal energy and only competes with martial techniques, making it a better stage than anywhere else to test one’s understanding of swordsmanship.
“Want to go out there?”
At my words, Mu Ying chuckled and shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
“Why? If you get promoted, you can move positions and your monthly salary will increase too. Isn’t that good?”
“I’m already receiving enough money. And I… I’d rather die than go anywhere else.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at those words.
Originally, Mu Ying was quite a famous talent even within the Dragon Ascension Corps.
He was even known for passing the Dragon Ascension Corps’ test at the youngest age.
But for some reason, Mu Ying was assigned as my guard.
The reason was something I couldn’t know in my previous life or now.
Only he himself would know.
“Being my guard is boring though.”
“Boring? My heart’s been pounding so much lately I can barely live. Really.”
“Your heart’s pounding? Why?”
“Don’t you know better than anyone, Young Master?”
Mu Ying widened his eyes and asked back.
“How you manage to attract Demon Cultists so well wherever you go is still an unsolved mystery to me.”
“Ah, really?”
It’s not that they’re attracted to me, I’m the one seeking them out, Mu Ying.
I swallowed those words.
Before long, the martial tournament had begun as warriors were climbing onto the training ground.
“Then, in preparation for the martial tournament, shall I refine my martial arts a bit?”
I headed straight to my quarters.
* * *
Upon arriving at my quarters, I immediately looked for the training ground.
Inside my body, I had one full cycle plus half a cycle of internal energy.
Internal energy that could only be obtained through 90 years of dedicated cultivation.
“The key is how to handle this.”
I slowly adjusted the true energy inside my body.
Dragon Heaven True Energy at the 12th level of great mastery.
On top of that, Azure Heaven Descending Dragon Energy had just reached the 1st level.
In terms of power, Azure Heaven Descending Dragon Energy was the strongest.
Though only at the 1st level, it was at a level that couldn’t be ignored.
Even Father, who is the Sword Master, remains at the 7th level of Azure Heaven Descending Dragon Energy.
“I can’t reveal this at the martial tournament. Hmm.”
If I brought out Azure Heaven Descending Dragon Energy, Father and the Elders would literally flip out.
No matter what anyone said, this was practically the ultimate secret technique of the family that was only passed down to the Family Head.
Of course, Dragon Heaven True Energy was the same.
“Father definitely recognized my internal energy.”
Two days ago, at Sword Soul Hall, Father clearly knew but pretended not to notice and let it pass.
Instead, he gave the strict order to participate in the direct lineage martial tournament.
“Zhu Wall Divine Art.”
Then the only thing I could show now was Zhu Wall Divine Art.
Originally at the 2nd level, but due to the development of other advanced martial arts, Zhu Wall Divine Art was now surpassing the 9th level.
“Hmm, should I try it?”
It was a dilemma.
In my previous life, I had mixed my martial arts together to create new martial arts.
Why?
Because even Azure Heaven Descending Dragon Energy was martial arts that couldn’t reach the Heavenly Demon.
But I immediately shook my head.
“Not yet.”
Combining the insights I had gained was a very dangerous and complex task.
Even in my previous life, I had nearly died in the process.
It was still dangerous to mix the main principles of mental cultivation methods, so I’d postpone it.
“Whew.”
I stood up from my position.
Anyway, using internal energy was strictly forbidden in the martial tournament.
Therefore, there was no need to tinker with internal energy cultivation methods now.
‘I’ll hold a sword, but…’
The Zhu Family was clearly a sword family.
But I had no intention of fighting with a sword in the tournament.
‘Black King Assault Body.’
The legacy left by the Fighting King, who was the greatest master of the Dark Path.
I planned to break the Zhu Family’s swords with this.
Though everyone looked down on Dark Path martial arts, Dark Path martial arts weren’t necessarily inferior in quality.
Just like how sects looked down on and ignored family martial arts.
It was convenient to think of it as the orthodox sects simply ignoring the scum of the Dark Path.
Black King Assault Body consisted of six martial techniques in total.
From the first technique Zhu Destruction Ring Strike to the sixth technique Overlord Forbidden Blood.
While slowly executing each one, I visualized all of the Zhu Family’s sword techniques in my head.
The Zhu Family’s sword techniques already filled my mind.
I examined each one, dismantled everything and reorganized it to find perfect weaknesses.
Then I inserted the principles of Black King Assault Body into those weaknesses to perfectly counter them.
Ironically, the sword techniques of the Zhu Family, a prestigious orthodox family, were too easily… countered by the Dark Path martial arts that everyone looked down on.
Through this martial tournament, I planned to properly instill a sense of vigilance in people.
* * *
“Hmm…”
Seol-ah was sitting in the small training ground attached to Silver Virtue Hall, drawing something on the ground.
The drawing seemed to be of some person, but it was actually a bit hard to make out.
“Seol-ah, what are you doing?”
“Father!”
Just then, Ju Seung-hyeok, having finished his preparations, discovered Seol-ah while passing by.
Seol-ah quickly ran to Ju Seung-hyeok and hugged him.
“I drew Uncle.”
“Uncle? Who?”
“That… youngest Uncle.”
“Ah, you mean Woo Jin. Let me see our Seol-ah’s drawing skills.”
Seung-hyeok soon looked at the drawing Seol-ah had made on the ground and was startled.
But without showing it, he carefully asked Seol-ah.
“Seol-ah. Why does Uncle’s face look like he’s crying?”
It was just a joke.
Since she was only five years old, he thought it was due to her immature drawing skills.
But that wasn’t it.
“Um… Uncle is always crying…”
“Huh?”
Ju Seung-hyeok’s expression hardened at Ju Seol-ah’s unexpected words.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Uncle Woo Jin. Hehe, Uncle is always crying like this.”
Seol-ah imitated Woo Jin’s expression.
At first glance, it just looked like he had no expression at all.
“The youngest uncle is… crying?”
“Yes! Uncle doesn’t smile even when he smiles. Seol-ah doesn’t really understand but… he’s sad.”
“…”
Seung-hyeok soon dismissed it as nothing serious.
“Haha, Seol-ah really likes the youngest uncle. Even though you’ve barely seen him a few times.”
“Huh? Is that so?”
Seol-ah tilted her head.
Finding her adorable, Seung-hyeok pinched Seol-ah’s cheek once and then turned around.
“Seol-ah, hurry and get ready, then come watch this father with Mother. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Leaving Seol-ah’s answer behind, Seung-hyeok departed from Silver Virtue Hall.
Since the martial tournament had begun, there was much he needed to observe.
That’s why he didn’t hear it.
The muttering of Seol-ah, left alone.
“Strange… Uncle is really always crying. Just like… a dead praying mantis…”
Looking at a praying mantis that lay dead and fading in color in one corner of the Small Training Ground, Seol-ah kept muttering incomprehensible words.
From the end of the praying mantis’s abdomen, something long and wriggling was emerging.
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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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