The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Youngest Son of the Nakhyang Jin Family – Chapter 164

Yeom Ji-hak stood before me, his gaze fixed upon my form, while Chu Won, the hunchbacked elder, swept his eyes across the surroundings before bending down to retrieve the Gok Ok that had fallen to the ground.
He turned it over in his hands, verifying that this was indeed what he had been seeking, then revealed yellowed teeth in a grotesque smile.
“At last, I have found it. Kekeke. To think it would truly be in this place.”
“Your prediction was correct after all.”
“Kekeke, did I not say it would be here? This was certainly the place. That failure last time was not a miscalculation on my part.”
Chu Won caressed the Gok Ok with an utterly grotesque laugh, appearing as though he had fallen into its depths and could never escape—yet he was undoubtedly one of the twelve corner lords.
The demonic power emanating from the Gok Ok held no sway over him.
Observing this situation unfold, I could confirm one certainty.
The formation of the Forbidden Realm, whoever had created it, was undoubtedly woven around this Gok Ok at its center.
Thus, the moment we escaped, the formation wavered and shattered.
With this thought, I subtly pulled Jang Chuchyeong behind me.
In that instant.
Chu Won’s gaze turned toward me.
“Could this be that one? The one they said was seen in Anhui… but isn’t he far too young for that?”
“Can you not see? He is of the Jin Family. He must be the one who spied on me while wearing a mask.”
“Kekeke, how amusing indeed.”
Chu Won laughed and glanced past me dismissively.
Yet his gaze withdrew just as quickly, with a palpable sense of indifference toward someone like me.
It was clear from the start that his true objective was the Gok Ok alone.
But I could not allow him to take it away.
I slowly drew my sword.
“Hunchback, why not set that down?”
“Hmm? Kekeke. Are you speaking thus to this old one?”
“There is a hunchback here…!”
Whoosh—!
In an instant, wind erupted.
Simultaneously, a brief glimpse of the future seized my mind, and I spun around, sweeping my blade in response.
Chu Won’s hand, which had been reaching to twist Jang Chuchyeong’s neck, blocked my sword instead, then extended his Golden Claw Technique to seize my throat.
Yet against such a familiar technique, I had no intention of falling prey so easily.
I kicked at the ground.
Boom—!
The earth split open, and debris erupted forth without restraint.
As Chu Won hastily turned his head to evade the incoming stones and retreated, I seized the opening and swept my blade forward.
Whoosh—!
A piercing sword aura flashed brilliantly with light.
At this remarkably sharp technique, Chu Won appeared considerably startled, his gaze falling upon his own hand.
His garment’s edge hung torn and tattered.
“Ohoho— Indeed, if it is this one, even the Shadow Assassins, let alone the Blood Demon Brigade, would prove no match. Kekeke.”
“Your strength has grown since Anwhui. One moment of carelessness, and you’ll suffer a grievous wound.”
“Kekeke— Will you offer yourself to me? If I straighten out that muddled mind of yours, you might actually become useful.”
The words dripped with contempt, as though speaking of a plaything rather than a person.
Yet I remained composed, observing the situation with detached clarity.
In the first place, with two of them present, escape alongside Jang Chuchyeong was impossible.
Which meant, by any means necessary, I had to carve a path through this.
Behind me, Jang Chuchyeong trembled beneath the oppressive aura of the two Snake Clan masters, yet desperately fought to maintain his composure.
“…Young Master, these old men…?”
“Enemies.”
Gulp—!
The sound of a dry swallow echoed loudly.
Not mere enemies.
Absolute Powerful Experts commanding the Twelve Angles themselves.
Facing two simultaneously was scarcely different from being ordered to die.
“When I give the signal, run.”
“R… Run? What will become of you alone, Young Master?”
“You’ll fetch the Elder. Only then do we have a chance at battle.”
At those words, Jang Chuchyeong’s eyes gleamed with understanding.
Yes, this was Namman, where Gu Gunbaek and his people held sway.
If I could secure even a measure of aid, perhaps twisting the necks of these two Snake Clan dogs was not beyond possibility.
That very moment.
Yeom Ji-hak’s lips curved upward as he regarded me.
As though he had pierced through every calculation in my mind.
“Last time, fortune favored you. But this time will be different, I assure you.”
He raised his hand.
Whoosh—!
As if waiting for that signal, figures clad in crimson robes emerged from the shadows.
Undoubtedly the elite of the Snake Clan.
Another contingent revealed themselves as members of the Shin Clan.
The mere display of power from these warriors—incomparable to those who had accompanied So Makjan—proved this situation was far from favorable.
“First, before we speak of Gwanbaek… tell me, who was that man from last time?”
“Last time? I haven’t the faintest notion what you mean.”
“Don’t play coy in this situation. Do I appear a fool to you?”
“Well… but it seems senility has clearly set in.”
At my words, Yeom Ji-hak’s brow twitched.
In the instant a cold breath escaped his lips.
Whoosh—!
Something moved.
Like a serpent approaching in silence, fangs bared to strike.
A blade extended with lethal precision, arriving without sound or warning.
The moment I narrowed my eyes at the sight before me.
Jang Chuchyeong, who stood beside me, lunged forward and threw a punch.
Crack—!
The blow struck precisely between the brows of the man targeting me, sending his body flying backward.
The man tumbled wildly across the ground before coming to a pathetic halt, spitting blood as he furrowed his brow and rose to his feet.
Indeed, as an elite member of the Twelve Angles, his defensive techniques were quite formidable.
It was remarkable that he survived taking such a hit.
“Damn it—! Come on, you bastards! Not a single finger touches the young master!”
Jang Chuchyeong, riding the momentum, clenched both fists and shouted.
Though the situation was undeniably frightening, his unwavering determination to protect me remained exactly as it had always been.
Yet it was not only Jang Chuchyeong who displayed such resolve.
Baek Gu, who had done nothing but obstruct me until now, quietly approached and pressed against my side.
Grrrrr—!
A low growl laden with killing intent reverberated through the air.
Eyes brimming with unmistakable murderous intent directed at them.
As the demon’s aura rose menacingly, they all turned their gaze toward us with tense expressions.
All except two.
“Oho? A White Tiger? It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen one.”
“You’ve seen one before?”
“Kekeke, yes. Long ago in this Namman. Thanks to that encounter, quite a number of my subordinates perished.”
Chu Won gazed at Baek Gu as though delighted, baring his yellowed teeth.
His eyes gleamed with avarice.
A completely different feeling from when he had looked at Gok Ok.
“That time, unfortunately, I let it slip away, but this time I will surely devour it.”
He licked his lips with a gulp, his eyes flashing with hunger.
Perhaps it was because I sensed his aura—as though he would chew and swallow not only Baek Gu’s flesh but even its inner core raw.
The White Tiger’s eyes gleamed with unprecedented ferocity.
As though facing an irreconcilable blood enemy.
But this was not the time to dwell on such matters.
If I did not devise a way out immediately, things would spiral beyond the worst.
Then.
“Ahahaha! I knew you bastards would show up—!”
A booming laugh pierced my ears from somewhere.
As those who turned their gaze at the sudden voice looked toward one spot, the massive figure of Gu Gunbaek stood surveying everyone present.
I could not fathom when he had positioned himself there.
Gu Gunbaek’s gaze confirmed Yeom Ji-hak with a smile, then turned to Chu Won beside him, narrowing sharply.
In that instant, killing intent spread through the air.
…!
Ugh?!
Everyone except Yeom Ji-hak and Chu Won recoiled, their bodies shrinking back in response to that murderous aura.
I pride myself on having witnessed many facets of Gu Gunbaek, yet the man radiating killing intent as he glares at Chu Won is not the one I know.
The murderous aura feels far thicker than blood itself.
It is no illusion—merely gazing upon him freezes my body, and the wind that should burn feels colder than the bitter northern gales of winter.
I cannot move a single step, and no words escape my lips.
Goosebumps rise from my head to my toes, and merely standing while maintaining consciousness becomes an arduous task.
This is the Demon King.
The true form of the Ten Sovereigns that I have never witnessed.
Then it happens.
Gu Gunbaek gazes at Chu Won and smiles with a metallic edge.
“It has been a while?”
“Kekeke, do you remember me?”
“Remember your wretched face? Never. But that disgusting stench of yours remains unchanged.”
Gu Gunbaek cracks his neck side to side, loosening his body.
From the way he pays no mind to Yeom Ji-hak, whom I saw in Anhui, I can discern that something grave transpired between them.
Something so bitter that one would wish to tear the other to shreds.
Gu Gunbaek launches himself forward.
His massive frame soars like an eagle, positioning himself before me.
“This bastard—!”
Then it happens.
Yeom Ji-hak, standing beside Chu Won, roars and hurls himself forward, wielding his staff in a sweeping arc.
It curves through the air like a serpent, precisely targeting Gu Gunbaek’s neck, and the force behind it is far from negligible.
Crash—!
Yet Gu Gunbaek pays it no mind whatsoever.
In an instant, he extends his hand and swats the staff away.
The staff, laden with considerable power, is simply deflected, and though a sufficient opening emerges, Gu Gunbaek does not move against Yeom Ji-hak.
Yeom Ji-hak retreats from the brief opening, but when the follow-up strike he anticipated does not come, he appears to have withdrawn out of his own sense of threat.
Yeom Ji-hak’s face flushes crimson.
As he, consumed by rage, attempts to speak, Gu Gunbaek’s voice rings out first, his gaze fixed solely upon Chu Won as if Yeom Ji-hak is beneath his notice.
“Your methods are identical to before. There is no growth. Do you merely age without changing?”
“Kekeke— You still cling to matters from decades past?”
“To think you would forget such deeds is folly. Worse still, you dared set foot in Namman again without hesitation. Do we appear to be fools to you?”
“Hahahaha—! You wretches—! Namman was quite amusing, was it not?”
Boom—!
Then it happens.
From somewhere, a man wielding a massive iron staff launches himself into view and lands upon the ground.
The moment his feet touch the earth, violent tremors ripple outward, and the ground splits.
Simultaneously, dozens of eagles soar skyward, and from all directions, Namman’s powerful experts emerge alongside fierce beasts.
As if driven by the will to settle all debts here and now, their eyes gleam with ominous intent.
From this alone, I can be certain that a deep and profound rift exists between the Shin Gyo members and the people of Namman.
Perhaps Gu Gunbaek’s wandering through the Central Plains was never about seeking Chu Won at all.
“….”
I quietly surveyed my surroundings and considered the situation.
This was practically a gift—an opportunity handed to me on a silver platter.
While I couldn’t gauge the full extent of Namman’s Demon King’s power, he appeared to match the Shin Gyo warriors in strength, and with Gu Gunbaek at my side, we might even manage to snap Chu Won’s neck.
Moreover, if Yeom Ji-hak simply contained Namman’s powerful experts, I could resolve this entire situation with minimal effort.
I let out a soft chuckle and turned my head.
At that same moment.
Boom—!
Gu Gunbaek was the first to strike.
His fist shot forward with tremendous force toward Chu Won. It was the kind of power that could pierce through stone effortlessly, yet strangely, Chu Won’s form before us scattered like mist and vanished.
“Kekeke— Now that won’t be enough to catch me….”
The moment I heard his laughter and saw the dissipating mist, I moved first, identifying where he would reappear.
I had witnessed this technique countless times before.
What worked against Gu Gunbaek would not work against me.
As my sword extended smoothly like moonlight toward Chu Won, I saw him notice me and let out an absurd laugh.
However, I had no intention of cutting him down.
The moment Chu Won attempted to deflect my blade with a casual gesture, I twisted my sword left and right to create a variation, then extended it like a golden serpent toward his chest.
Slash—!
His garment tore, and something flew high into the air.
He instantly pushed off the ground and leaped upward.
But then.
Whistle—!
A chillingly sharp aura came flying at me.
Sensing that grasping Gok Ok would split my body in two, I furrowed my brow and swung my sword again.
Clang—!
My blade struck something, and a powerful force sent me sliding backward, landing on the ground.
Crash—!
I frowned and looked ahead.
Yeom Ji-hak now held Gok Ok, smiling.
His intent to seize the artifact was unmistakable.
“Have you forgotten that I stand here?”
At his mocking voice, I sighed and shook my head.
Right.
If things went smoothly, it wouldn’t be my life.
I smiled bitterly and gripped my sword anew.

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