The Youngest Prince of the Zhou Family - Chapter 39

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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 (39)

Upheaval

Ju Seung-hyeok thought.

Most of the family elders supported Second Young Master Ju Sang-jin anyway, and he himself didn’t care who became the next Family Head.

But he couldn’t help the thread of desire that had settled in a corner of his heart.

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‘If you remain still, will that opportunity ever come?’

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Though he hadn’t shown it at the time, Woo Jin’s words had shocked him greatly.

That he had already been receiving many opportunities.

That after the Blood Evil incident, when he had collapsed, Father had always waited for him.

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‘Only Eldest Brother… Only Eldest Brother is qualified.’

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Does qualification come to everyone?

No.

Then does opportunity come to everyone?

That’s not it either.

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‘You’ll never get another chance like this again.’

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His heart wavered.

“Haha… I was truly blessed.”

He had worried that the moment he stepped forward, the family would become noisy with political infighting.

But it was actually the opposite.

Because he had remained silent and hidden, things had become even noisier.

To prevent any more disturbance.

He had to move.

Clang!

He gripped his sword.

Now was the time to show his will.

Properly, for all to see.

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* * *

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The moment the Sword Master’s beloved weapon, the White Tiger Point Sword, was drawn, heaven and earth were dyed in darkness.

As if placed at the boundary of nothingness, one couldn’t even perceive oneself.

That was the weight of the sword the Sword Master bore.

The overwhelming presence of an absolute being with the power to tear apart All Under Heaven.

Ju Seung-hyeok was trying to stand against that presence.

Distance? Breathing? Flow?

None of it could be measured.

Before the giant called Sword Master, Ju Seung-hyeok was merely a speck of dust.

However, the current Eldest Young Master was a little different.

His once cheerful expression now contained only bitter coldness.

One breath, one breath.

He focused on the Sword Master’s blade and captured his movements in his eyes to remember.

If it were any ordinary person, the moment the sword was drawn, victory would have completely shifted to the Sword Master.

However, the Elders and Family Heads swallowed their gasps.

Ju Seung-hyeok was also slowly shaking off the Sword Master’s overwhelming pressure and beginning to reveal his own sword.

“Huh, truly the Zhu Family. To display his own sword within Sword Master Elder Brother’s aura?”

That was Dang Hwa-pyeong’s honest impression.

True to his straightforward nature, he honestly expressed the emotions he felt.

Thus everyone became absorbed in the sparring match between the Sword Master and Sword Dragon.

The Sword Master’s sword was qualified enough to discuss All Under Heaven.

Then what about the Sword Dragon?

His sword painted the future.

Dreaming of new skies and swallowing vast ambitions.

‘You can do whatever you want.’

The Sword Master was saying that with his sword.

‘But only if you set your mind to it.’

Take it.

Try to take everything I’ve achieved.

Provocative and primal.

He touched the very pride of human desire.

Ju Seung-hyeok naturally responded.

‘My place… I’ll find it.’

Thus, he spoke with his sword.

His sword shone brilliantly.

Though he didn’t possess the arrogance to tear apart All Under Heaven and look down on everyone like the Sword Master.

Instead, he held a dazzling radiance that could inspire everyone.

What the Sword Master lacked could be seen in the Sword Dragon.

People cheered for it.

A fresh shock.

This sparring match was fully displaying the brilliant future of the Zhu Family.

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* * *

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Politics, infighting within the family.

This was one of the reasons I turned my back on the family in my previous life.

Within the family, countless interests are intertwined.

From the direct line to the branches of branches.

12th cousins, 16th cousins, perhaps even more distant relatives all living together in one place.

That place is precisely a noble family, what can be called one clan.

With so many people entangled in interests, infighting within the family naturally became inevitable.

I wanted to escape from these tiresome political relationships.

But now, some degree of involvement has become necessary.

‘Information network.’

The first reason I thought this way was precisely because of information networks.

Information warfare is one of the top priorities in war.

Because I learned that lesson painfully in my previous life, I was determined not to leave the same regrets in this life.

Currently, the one holding that information network is nominally the Family Head, Ju Tae-seong.

But the reality was different.

From my judgment, seeing that the White Dragon Captain had been won over by Namgung Yi-hwa, I thought numerous pieces of information were already hidden on Ju Sang-jin’s side.

Perhaps even high-level intelligence that could reveal the Demonic Cult’s movements.

‘This is bad.’

That can’t be undone.

The White Dragon Corps will never lend me their strength.

Then it’s only right that I should build a new information force that no one could predict.

Those who follow only my orders and would use any means and methods for the objective.

Not within the framework of the Orthodox Faction, but within a larger category.

For instance… the Dark Path.

Well, in any case, the Zhu Family’s All Under Heaven Competition concluded successfully.

People cheered and praised the brilliant future of the Zhu Family.

Countless rising talents would once again harbor different dreams, and having the Zhu Family as their goal was an additional effect that naturally followed.

But among them, what circulated the most was still my name.

Woo Jin.

The unexpected new leap of a scoundrel no one had anticipated.

Martial prowess sufficient to move even those who said people couldn’t be reformed.

Public opinion was ablaze, and it brought winds of new change to the Zhu Family.

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* * *

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After the Zhu Family’s All Under Heaven Competition ended.

Late at night, Dang Hwa-pyeong came to my quarters.

“After hearing your words, I established the assumption that there might be a traitor within the noble family.”

“That was wise of you.”

I nodded at Dang Hwa-pyeong’s words.

As expected, he came to find me about this matter.

In truth, as the head of a family, immediately acting upon someone else’s words is an extremely difficult thing to do.

Because it requires setting aside all the family’s pride.

“The fact that the Family Head moved personally means there were suspicious incidents, doesn’t it?”

“Of course, starting with how they could determine which Tang Family estate you would be hiding in so quickly, as you said.”

“That’s not it.”

I shook my head.

“You must have already been harboring some suspicions even before that.”

“….”

Dang Hwa-pyeong was at a loss for words.

‘What the hell? How does this guy seem to be lodged right inside my head….’

“Isn’t that right?”

At my question, Dang Hwa-pyeong stopped thinking and nodded his head as if he had no choice.

“You’re right. There were things I found suspicious but were trivial, so I just buried them… but when you spoke up at that time, it reawakened my suspicions.”

Dang Hwa-pyeong finally spoke his thoughts.

“I’m currently investigating in secret. But I don’t know which direction to take.”

“Hmm. What kind of direction do you mean?”

“The question starts with who I should investigate. Even the incidents I was suspicious of involve too many people.”

I nodded at those words.

One might question the Family Head’s qualifications at this point, but I agreed with Dang Hwa-pyeong’s opinion.

It wouldn’t have been major incidents but small ones that occurred consecutively.

If the people involved were key executives of the Tang Family, he could just arrest and interrogate them, but would the Demonic Cult really be that foolish?

Even if he tried to trace the tracks of lower-rank warriors, nothing would come of it.

“Rather than finding out what they were trying to do, you should try to anticipate their purpose.”

“Purpose? Of course I’ve thought about that.”

“I’d like to hear the Family Head’s thoughts.”

“Isn’t their purpose obvious? Internal chaos within the Tang Family, business establishments….”

“That’s where you’re wrong from the start.”

I smiled quietly and drove the point home.

“They’re aiming for the complete destruction of the Tang Family.”

“….”

At those words, Dang Hwa-pyeong’s complexion turned deathly pale.

It was something no one could dare to imagine.

The Five Great Families weren’t called that for nothing.

“Right now… someone dares to aim for the destruction of the Tang Family? They planted spies within the noble family with that goal?”

“Don’t you believe it?”

Of course he couldn’t believe it.

Not just any family, but the renowned Tang Family of All Under Heaven.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Orthodox Martial World was ruined because of such thoughts.

How dare they? How dare those insignificant beings?

Such arrogant thoughts brought about their own destruction.

The spies cleverly exploited such psychology.

This wasn’t because the family heads were incompetent.

It was natural thinking for those in power who held a solid advantage in strength.

Moreover, it was impossible for a family head to personally oversee every single lower-rank warrior.​

Ultimately, corruption was created from there.

I simply knew their methods.

“I dare not tell you how to root them out. The Tang Family, and you as the Family Head, must have your own methods. But… from now on, try screening them under the assumption that the Tang Family could be destroyed.”

Then he would search more desperately.

The most trustworthy ones and the ambiguous ones who couldn’t be trusted would remain.

“Sigh, hearing your words makes me feel troubled, as if I’ve been living peacefully and wasting time.”

“It’s not the Family Head’s fault.”

“Haha, how could the Zhu Family fail to recognize a talent like you?”

Dang Hwa-pyeong gently patted my back.

“It’s my fault. It’s true that I lived like a madman as the rumors said.”

“If you wanted to change, that’s enough. Aren’t humans animals that constantly change and adapt? One mistake in childhood is sufficient.”

Dang Hwa-pyeong stood up from his seat with a relieved expression.

It seemed my words had been helpful.

“Oh, by the way. Are you just going to leave that thing there?”

Dang Hwa-pyeong cast a covetous glance at the wooden box placed in one corner of the room.

That was the wooden box containing the Hundred-Refined Pure Steel I had received from Uncle Ju Tae-hwi.

“Ah.”

I looked at the wooden box as if I had just remembered.

“The iron’s energy is fine. If you have no particular use for it, I’d like to make a sword and give it to you.”

“Hmm, if the Tang Family would make it for me, I would gratefully accept.”

“Hahaha, what gratitude. I’m more grateful instead. Didn’t you spare no advice for my son?”

It was about Dang Jin.

It seemed he had talked about me.

“I’ll tell the boy. I think he’ll put his heart and soul into making it for you.”

“Thank you, Family Head.”

“Good, rest well.”

Dang Hwa-pyeong left those words and departed from my quarters.

With Dang Hwa-pyeong’s refreshing decision, I felt as if a burden in one corner of my heart had been lifted.

If the Tang Family started preparing from now on, at least the destruction of the Tang Family wouldn’t be accomplished so easily.

Not long after Dang Hwa-pyeong left, another visitor came.

“It’s busy today.”

After the All Under Heaven Competition ended, strangely, many people had been visiting my quarters.

When I opened the door, I saw an unexpected person.

“Uncle!”

A small figure who smiled brightly upon seeing me and rushed over.

It was Seol-ah.

It was Seol-ah.

“What brings you here….”

I quickly picked up Seol-ah.

Then, suddenly sensing a presence behind me, I turned to see Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law standing there.

Sister-in-law gave me a slight bow in greeting.

I quickly escorted them both to my quarters.

“What brings you here?”

“Can’t an older brother visit his younger brother’s face without needing a reason?”

Somehow, Eldest Brother’s face looked bright.

After the sparring match with Father, he seemed to have gained quite a lot of insight.

“Please, just ask me quickly.”

I had a rough idea of why he came.

“Haha, I really can’t fool those eyes of yours.”

Saying that, Eldest Brother pointed to Seol-ah playing in the corner.

“Seol-ah has been looking for you so much. Even though you had no connection, it seems just seeing you once or twice left quite a strong impression.”

“Seol-ah has?”

“And….”

Eldest Brother’s expression suddenly hardened.

Then he looked at me quietly and spoke in a low voice.

“Come with me to the Jusan Archipelago. I want to take you with me.”

It was truly… an unexpected request.

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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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