The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 112

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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 112

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Hyang Un-sin was in excellent spirits.
Though he had received assistance from Sadocheon, capturing Jin Ji-yak had granted him the upper hand in negotiations. The Nakhyang Jin Family, recognizing the gravity of the situation, had reversed their initial stance and agreed to negotiate.
The Nakhyang Jin Family—renowned throughout the realm for their unparalleled wealth.
Surrendering imperial business rights would be nothing to them.
Yet the Nakhyang Jin Family was equally famous for never engaging in unprofitable ventures.
Moreover, he had stirred a hornet’s nest—and not just any hornet’s nest, but a wasp’s nest—so he needed to devise a way to appease them.
For now, Sadocheon’s presence would prevent them from drawing their blades hastily, but the Nakhyang Jin Family would demand something substantial in exchange for overlooking this transgression.
Their acceptance of negotiations surely stemmed from this very calculation.
Depending on what he offered, the great golden sword of the Nakhyang Jin Family might descend upon him—or it might not.
He had already devised a solution.
The businesses in this neutral territory.
The inn, the warehouse, and various other enterprises.
These were lands the Nakhyang Jin Family had not yet claimed, and since the businesses thrived with substantial profits, they would serve as adequate compensation to preserve face.
“Father… what if the negotiations fail? The Nakhyang Jin Family won’t simply accept this.”
“There’s no need for such worry. They’ll have no choice but to accept.”
I had captured Jin Ji-yak without inflicting a single wound.
Furthermore, though some of my guards bore injuries, I had killed none of them—so they could hardly fail to recognize that Jin Ji-yak was merely a bargaining chip, nothing more.
This itself demonstrated how desperate the Hyangun Se Family had become.
They would naturally yield.
And if they refused?
Then I possessed only one remaining card to play.
I hoped it would never come to that.
Though Nakhyang lay at the heart of Hannam, where Sadocheon’s power could not be wielded, that did not mean I lacked alternatives.
From Sadocheon’s perspective, unable to abandon the Hyangun Se Family, he could easily provide hidden martial artists, and even without that, I possessed numerous other methods—assassins and beyond.
I could even forge alliances with other Sega families who harbored enmity toward the Nakhyang Jin Family, obstructing their every move.
For this negotiation, the very fate of the Sega hung in the balance, so I was prepared to exhaust every resource at my disposal, whether success came or not.
The Nakhyang Jin Family was not ignorant of this.
Therefore, they would yield—without question.
“I remain anxious. What if war erupts with the Nakhyang Jin Family?”
“Fool! At this very moment, Sadocheon’s power stands with us. If negotiations collapse, we seize whoever came to negotiate!”
“F-Father?!”
“Should that still prove insufficient? I’ll have Jin Ji-yak’s fingers severed and sent to them. We’ve already stirred the hornet’s nest beyond redemption—is this the moment to hesitate?”
At those words, my son fell silent, his anxiety evident upon his face.
The situation had already transcended the point of no return.
Either both sides would achieve satisfactory gains, or one would be utterly destroyed—there existed no middle ground.
Hyang Un-sin steadied his breathing and composed himself, then gently opened his mouth while stroking the hair of his trembling son.
“Do not worry. I shall pass down an intact Hyangun Se Family to you without fail.”
“Yes, I believe you.”
In the end, even his son could only nod in agreement.
His eyes gleamed with trust, as if he believed his father would overcome this crisis by any means necessary.
“Do you know why the Nakhyang Jin Family has not crumbled for hundreds of years?”
At that moment.
The door creaked open, and Jin Ji-yak entered.
The fact that she was allowed to move freely without being bound or confined suggested that they harbored no ill intent toward her.
Or rather, that was the impression they intended to give.
Thus, she entered the Family Head’s quarters without hesitation, then furrowed her brow as she regarded Hyang Un-sin.
Hyang Un-sin’s own expression darkened at her piercing gaze.
“How disagreeable. I told you that you were free to move about as you pleased, but I am the Family Head of the Hyangun Se Family, and this is my residence. Must you enter so brazenly?”
“Yet you saw fit to seize and imprison people without cause, and still you speak such words.”
“….”
“Shall we return to the matter at hand? Are you not curious about why the Nakhyang Jin Family remained intact for hundreds of years?”
“It must be due to superior acumen.”
“No. That is not it.”
Jin Ji-yak shook her head.
It was certainly true that the Family Head possessed superior acumen.
But such skill alone could never sustain control over the Central Plains’ wealth for hundreds of years.
The Central Plains and the Martial Arts World were simply not so forgiving.
“It is because they always exceed expectations.”
“Ha, what an amusing tale indeed. Then it seems I too have exceeded the Nakhyang Jin Family’s expectations. Who would negotiate in such a manner?”
Jin Ji-yak smiled and nodded at Hyang Un-sin’s words.
Just as he said, the Hyangun Se Family had proven far more mad than anticipated.
Soon, she twirled her fingers through the air as she spoke.
“However, exceeding expectations with expectations—that is precisely what the Nakhyang Jin Family does.”
The moment Hyang Un-sin’s frown deepened at her words.
A presence was felt from outside.
“What is the matter?”
“F-Family Head, someone from the Nakhyang Jin Family has arrived.”
“…Already?!”
Surprise flashed across Hyang Un-sin’s face.
It had been only a few days since he sent word requesting another round of negotiations.
Yet in less than two days, they had already arrived here—something he had not anticipated.
Was this not far too swift?
This meant they had been preparing in advance.
He had expected at least four days from the time the message was sent, so his astonishment could only deepen.
As Hyang Un-sin glanced at Jin Ji-yak, she let out a soft laugh and shrugged her shoulders.
Then, casually gesturing toward the door, I spoke.
“You’ve already exceeded expectations, haven’t you? Shouldn’t you be going?”
At my words delivered with a grin, Hyang Un-sin closed his eyes tightly.

* * *

The Hyangun Inn, which had been bustling with guests moments before, had fallen into a silence as complete as a tomb.
Every patron had been ushered out without exception.
The first floor had become a powder keg waiting to ignite.
With Hyang Un-sin at the center, the members of the Jinpung Sword Sect stood in formation, while behind them, the warriors of the Hyangun Se Family pressed forward with menacing intensity.
Directly opposite Hyang Un-sin sat Baek Ja-hyeon.
To either side were Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon.
Behind them stood Jin Ji-yak’s bodyguards, now in reasonably good condition.
At a glance, the numbers made any meaningful resistance impossible.
Should a fight break out here, they might struggle for a time, but ultimately, it seemed certain that the Nakhyang Jin Family would fall.
Having confirmed his superior position, Hyang Un-sin smiled.
I recognized the man before me.
Guard Commander Baek Ja-hyeon.
Considering the hierarchy of the Nakhyang Jin Family, the Guard Commander held a rather elevated position.
But could he be the one to conduct negotiations?
He could attend as someone’s escort, but as the principal responsible for leading the negotiations themselves, he fell short.
He was a warrior, not a merchant.
For this reason, Hyang Un-sin’s expression grew somewhat peculiar.
“How unexpected. The Guard Commander himself has come.”
“Isn’t this a matter of great importance? Setting that aside, your Family Head is being rather excessive. To resort to such barbarism over a mere Imperial venture…”
“Mere, you say? It may be trivial to the Nakhyang Jin Family, but not to us. If it’s so worthless that you’d describe it that way, why not hand it over to us instead?”
At words that held no humor, Baek Ja-hyeon snorted derisively.
This was no venture that had fallen into their laps by chance.
It was something Jin Cheon-u had risked his life to obtain in Beijing. No matter how unnecessary it might seem, it was spoils of war brought back by none other than Young Master So himself at the cost of his life—how could they simply hand it over?
Moreover.
“In the first place, it was His Majesty who designated the Nakhyang Jin Family to undertake this task. How could you expect us to simply relinquish it?”
“Haha, so the Guard Commander himself has come to negotiate? How truly unexpected. You didn’t strike me as the sort to sit at such a table.”
As Hyang Un-sin spoke, his gaze swept rapidly across his surroundings.
First, the two individuals standing on either side of Baek Ja-hyeon.
These two appeared to be brought along in preparation for the situation.
Possessing considerable skill, they kept their eyes fixed on the members of the Jinpung Sword Sect near Hyang Un-sin.
They were observing the angles from which they could move should matters go awry.
They were almost certainly Baek Ja-hyeon’s disciples, or perhaps unknown masters from the Nakhyang Jin Family.
The woman in the back, however, was different.
An unknown woman whose name I could not discern, yet despite the veil covering her face, her gaze fixed upon me with an intensity—her eyes possessed a depth far from ordinary.
Though she showed no signs of having trained in martial arts, she listened intently and focused as if determined not to miss a single moment of this negotiation.
Hyang Un-sin was certain of it.
It was that woman.
The seated Baek Ja-hyeon was a facade—the true architect of this negotiation was the woman standing behind him.
He reasoned that her youth, combined with her choice to stand at the rear rather than sit at the table to observe the broader situation, revealed her true role.
It was unexpected, certainly.
Yet his eyes could not be deceived.
Hyang Un-sin smiled knowingly as he regarded the woman, then opened his mouth with absolute certainty in his gaze.
“Would you not be more comfortable seated? Standing in such a position hardly conduces to proper negotiation.”
“Pardon? Me?”
Caught off guard by his words, the woman glanced nervously about the room.
Her expression and tone conveyed surprise.
Though she acted as though she had nothing to do with this affair, to Hyang Un-sin’s discerning eye, it was nothing but deception.
Just as he was about to speak again—
Bang!
Baek Ja-hyeon struck the table, raising his voice.
“Enough of this nonsense. First, I wish to confirm the safety of the captured servants and the young lady.”
His sharp aura flared as he spoke, and Hyang Un-sin, yielding to the moment, nodded and gestured to those beside him.
The door opened, and Jin Ji-yak, who had been waiting outside, entered.
She confirmed Baek Ja-hyeon had arrived with only a small contingent, took reassurance from seeing her own guards standing behind her, and then caught sight of Namgung Yeon and Chaeseoha, tilting her head in puzzlement.
“Young lady! Are you unharmed?”
“Ah—it’s wonderful, Sister. No meals to pay for, no lodging fees—I’ve been eating and drinking freely. I can’t even remember the last time in my life I was so at peace, without a single thought of work.”
Her utterly composed tone drew a bitter smile from Baek Ja-hyeon. He had long known of her carefree nature, but he had not expected it to remain unchanged even in such circumstances.
“But…”
Jin Ji-yak looked around once more, as if searching for someone. Finding no one, she furrowed her brow and fixed her gaze upon a single figure.
The man upon whom her gaze fell stiffened.
“Jang Chuchyeong.”
“Y-yes?!”
“If you’re here, that means the youngest must be here as well, doesn’t it?”
“Ah… well, yes, that’s correct.”
Pierced by her incisive words, Jang Chuchyeong could not muster a lie and simply nodded.
In that instant, not only Hyang Un-sin but the very warriors of the Hyangun Se Family widened their eyes in shock.
The youngest of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
There was no one in this room who did not know who that was.
None other than the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
Did this mean the Young Master So had been sent here?
Hyang Un-sin felt the weight of that same question.
Yet he swiftly grasped that it was no deception.
Yes—Baek Ja-hyeon was the supreme guard of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
If he served as protector, his charge could only be the Family Head himself, or perhaps the Young Master So.
When Hyang Un-sin’s eyes widened in surprise, Baek Ja-hyeon’s lips curled upward in a smirk.
“Come to think of it, I didn’t come here to negotiate with the Family Head. I merely checked on the young lady and her household’s wellbeing… The negotiation will be handled by Young Master So.”
“…Where is Young Master So? Why is he not present at this meeting?”
“Ah, he said he had somewhere to visit briefly, so he went there.”
“Somewhere to visit? What could possibly be more important than this negotiation?”
Observing Hyang Un-sin’s bewildered expression, Baek Ja-hyeon nodded as if to say he shared the confusion.
It wasn’t just Baek Ja-hyeon—Jang Chuchyeong, Chaeseoha, and Namgung Yeon felt the same.
Moreover, he went alone.
Baek Ja-hyeon pressed his furrowed brow and took a breath.
“Sadocheon.”
“…!”
“He stopped by there briefly, they say.”
At those words, not only Hyang Un-sin but even the Jinpung Sword Sect members were left speechless by the shock.

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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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