The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 120
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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 120
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“Listen, everyone! Listen! Have you heard? About Sadocheon!”
“Ah yes, we were just discussing that very thing. They say the Junior Heavenly Lord of Sadocheon took quite a beating?”
“Not just a beating—they say he was utterly trampled. And by someone who isn’t even from a martial family, no less.”
People gathered in clusters began chattering loudly amongst themselves.
Both martial artists and ordinary folk alike.
Rumors spreading through the Central Plains Martial Arts World were too numerous to count, but stories concerning Cheon-yul inevitably drew attention due to his position.
He was, after all, the Junior Heavenly Lord of Sadocheon.
Moreover, his grandfather was none other than the Death Emperor himself.
A figure already renowned for his exceptional blade techniques had been utterly crushed by a mere merchant family scion—not even from a martial clan.
How could anyone not be captivated by such news?
The rumor that began in Shanxi swept through the Neutral Zone in an instant, cascading onward until it spread across all of Hannam.
“They say it was the Nakhyang Jin Family?”
“That’s right, that’s right! Is it true about the Young Master So?”
“That’s what I heard. When I arrived here, I confirmed it from what others were saying—it seems to be beyond doubt.”
“Unbelievable!”
“Good heavens… what kind of household is that family, anyway?”
People turned their heads with expressions of bewilderment.
Their gazes fell upon the towering Main Hall of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
A merchant clan so successful that history itself offered no parallel in the Central Plains.
Yet they had always carried a stigma—that they lacked the strength to protect themselves through their own power, and thus relied upon wealth to employ exceptional martial artists to safeguard their family and their interests.
But now, even that limitation had been overcome.
The Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family was himself a Powerful Expert capable of subduing the Junior Heavenly Lord of Sadocheon in a single stroke.
Of course, these were the words of those unfamiliar with the true nature of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
From the Jin Family’s perspective, it was simply a matter of having wealth—why would they exhaust themselves through sweat and effort to cultivate martial prowess?
When one could simply purchase such strength, why bother?
Regardless, this rumor delivered a tremendous shock to the Central Plains Martial Arts World.
The Martial Arts Alliance.
Within it lay the main hall of the Changryongdan.
Naturally, the Martial Arts Alliance was the first to receive word of the rumors sweeping through Hannam.
As a result, talk of Jin Cheon-u and Cheon Yul never ceased within these walls.
“Haha, Young Master Jin is truly remarkable!”
“Indeed. I never knew he was so strong.”
Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo, upon hearing the news, spoke of it with bright smiles. They had known he possessed martial skill, but having never witnessed it firsthand, they had not truly considered him formidable until now.
It was nothing short of shocking.
Cheon Yul was a figure well-known even among the Changryongdan members.
Once he had earned renown as a rival to Moyong Hyeok, but before long he had surged far ahead, and now no one dared compare the two.
Unlike Moyong Hyeok, who still bore the title of a rising talent, Cheon Yul had long since transcended such constraints and made his name resound throughout the martial sects.
Paeng Dohan smiled without malice and turned his gaze away.
At the end of his line of sight stood Moyong Hyeok, who had been wielding a wooden sword for the past two hours.
He had lost the trail of Pyo Hyeong-geom in Anhui, and even the Chohyeon Sega had returned with little to show for their efforts.
Since then, he had devoted himself entirely to training, yet today his expression seemed more clenched with frustration than usual.
Paeng Dohan spoke to Moyong Hyeok without any hidden agenda.
“What do you make of it? This incident, I mean. Haha, isn’t Young Master So truly impressive? None other than Cheon Yul himself, mind you. Haha, it’s quite amusing, really.”
Crack!
The moment those words reached his ears, the wooden sword in Moyong Hyeok’s grip fractured.
Paeng Dohan’s eyes widened in shock, and Eon Garyeo, who had rushed over, quickly clamped his hand over Paeng Dohan’s mouth and dragged him away.
Only after pulling him along for some distance did he release him, and Paeng Dohan’s brow furrowed.
“Why did you do that?”
“Good grief, have you no sense? Don’t you know the relationship between Moyong Sohyeop and Cheon Yul? And now Young Master Jin has beaten that man senseless—how do you think he feels?”
“Relieved…?”
“That’s not it at all! Moreover, he couldn’t even capture Pyo Hyeong-geom, and the Chohyeon Sega came away empty-handed as well. The Sword Emperor went with them, and yet nothing! How humiliated and bitter he must feel.”
“Ah, well… I suppose that’s possible.”
Paeng Dohan scratched his head vigorously and looked toward Moyong Hyeok.
In that instant, their eyes met.
Though they had spoken in hushed tones, it seemed he had heard every word—Moyong Hyeok’s gaze was so murderous it felt as though it might tear them to shreds.
Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo trembled and awkwardly slipped away from the spot.
Moyong Hyeok, watching them go, ground his teeth.
Grrr—!
“Jin Cheon-u….”
Crack!
The moment he uttered that name, the wooden sword in his hand shattered completely.
The events in Anhui remained vivid in his mind.
That mere merchant’s son, regarding him with such arrogance, speaking with such presumption.
Yet it turned out that all of it stemmed from genuine confidence.
“You are nothing. You cannot touch me.”
From the Black Crow Society until now, it had always been this way.
Even though Jin Cheon-u recognized that Moyong Hyeok stood beneath him, he concealed this fact and hid it away, mocking him inwardly.
The thought made my teeth grind and fury surge through my veins.
“That bastard….”
Moyong Hyeok steadied his breathing as he recalled Jin Cheon-u.
I had to grow stronger.
To a degree incomparable to my current level.
Strong enough to crush that arrogant fool who mocked me beneath his heel.
“Hyeok.”
Then.
A sudden voice pulled Moyong Hyeok from his thoughts, and he turned his head.
Standing motionless in his line of sight was a single figure.
Mo Yong-cheon.
His father.
Moyong Hyeok’s eyes widened in surprise.
While his father had summoned him before, he had never visited the Changryongdan directly—and from the look in his eyes alone, it seemed he had witnessed every trace of the anger that consumed me.
“Follow me.”
With an impassive gaze and a heavy voice, Mo Yong-cheon spoke, and Moyong Hyeok hastily obeyed.
* * *
The journey back to Nakhyang was smoother than ever before.
Using the fastest route, I traveled without sleeping rough, rested comfortably, and gained time to organize my thoughts on everything that had transpired.
In this affair with the Hyangun Se Family, I had gained nothing—only given away.
However, establishing a relationship with Sadocheon was a positive signal.
By maintaining distance while building trust and goodwill, the Jin Family’s business ventures could establish a foundation to flourish in Shanxi—something that had previously been impossible due to Sadocheon’s influence.
Considering the profits that would flow from such ventures, what I had lost now was nothing at all.
Moreover, I had obtained invaluable intelligence about Mu Heo, making the entire affair with the Hyangun Se Family a gain in itself.
Organizing my thoughts this way, I turned my gaze.
The carriage had already entered Luoyang City.
I took in the familiar sights of the streets as I turned to look around.
My sister Jin Ji-yak, of course, along with Jang Chuchyeong, Chaeseoha, and even Namgung Yeon.
Except for Baek Ja-hyeon, everyone appeared quite exhausted, speaking hardly a word.
It was a sign of how depleted their spirits and bodies had become.
Moreover, the three of them had been moving without proper rest immediately after returning from Anhui, so it was inevitable that their fatigue had not yet lifted.
I smiled and opened my mouth.
“Go on ahead and rest. I’ll get off here.”
“Aren’t you coming with us?”
“Where else would I go? Just rest. All right?”
Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon looked at me with visibly exhausted expressions. As my guards, they bore the responsibility to follow wherever I went.
Thus they seemed alarmed.
I shook my head and gestured dismissively.
“I’m just going to stop by the marketplace for a bit. Don’t worry. I’ll be back within the hour at most.”
“Really… we don’t have to follow?”
“That’s right.”
At that brief affirmation, both their expressions relaxed.
However, they glanced sideways, gauging Jin Ji-yak’s reaction.
There was a chance they might be scolded otherwise.
But Jin Ji-yak simply nodded without concern.
She would have heard the rumors about Sadocheon and understood that I possessed the strength to protect myself, and she knew the journey had been arduous.
With that, the carriage stopped and I stepped outside.
Glancing back to bid farewell, I saw Chaeseoha nodding off.
I offered a light greeting and moved toward the marketplace.
It was a path through the bustling crowds of countless people.
Naturally, there were not a few who recognized me.
“Young Master So! How do you do?!”
“Oh my! Clear the way! Young Master So is passing!”
“Is it true you crushed the Junior Heavenly Lord?”
I felt my energy drain at the voices coming from all directions and offered an awkward smile.
The Nakhyang Jin Family was a source of pride for the people of Luoyang. For the Young Master leading such a clan to have crushed the Junior Heavenly Lord of Sadocheon—an organization even the Martial Arts Alliance did not dare provoke easily—naturally stirred excitement among the populace.
Everyone treated me with the caution and reverence one might show an emperor.
It was quite burdensome.
Enough to feel pressure simply walking through the streets.
Whether they were natives of Nakhyang or not, every person passing through the marketplace had their gaze fixed upon me alone.
I had anticipated it to some degree, but this exceeded all expectations.
I hurried toward the Hwaseon Guesthouse.
Upon opening the door and stepping inside, confronted once again by the deluge of stares, I found myself frowning involuntarily as I ascended the stairs with quickened pace.
The men standing guard, having noticed my arrival from the commotion outside, hastily cleared a path.
At last, I opened the door and entered.
“You must be exhausted.”
Simultaneously, a refined voice reached my ears.
Turning my gaze, I saw Baek Jin-hwa seated there. A light refreshment table had been prepared, which also caught my attention.
I exhaled a sigh and took a seat across from her.
“I hadn’t expected it to be this intense.”
“This is the territory of the Righteous Faction, is it not? Whether one wields a sword or not, the ideology of the Righteous Path has been deeply rooted since childhood. And now that you’ve defeated the Junior Heavenly Lord, such commotion is only natural.”
“It’s not really that impressive, though.”
I offered a bitter smile and brought the tea to my lips.
At that, Baek Jin-hwa regarded me with a peculiar expression.
“What is it?”
“I was merely thinking that you are someone who brings an incident with every step you take. Whether for better or worse.”
“Is that so? I’ve been hearing that quite often lately.”
“Indeed. You went to Beijing, and suddenly Dowon Village was destroyed and a rebellion erupted. Isn’t that remarkable?”
“…The world is full of all manner of coincidences.”
“When coincidences overlap several times, they become inevitability.”
As if the mere thought pained her, she growled like a feral beast and fixed me with a piercing glare.
With the certainty that I was somehow entangled in all of this, I could only shrug and moisten my parched mouth.
However, Baek Jin-hwa soon composed herself.
She was angry, but not angry enough to drive me away?
No, to be precise, Dowon Village had not been destroyed.
Though it had suffered immediate financial damage, she believed it could be restored without difficulty, and thus she was not greatly angered.
Which meant the Emperor was already rebuilding Dowon Village.
In the not-too-distant future, the Jin Family would be asked for assistance.
“But what brings you here? You haven’t visited in quite some time.”
“I need information on someone.”
“Of course you would. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come.”
Her tone carried an unmistakable edge of sarcasm.
I tried to calm myself inwardly, but I couldn’t tell if lingering resentment over Dowon Village remained, or if there was some other reason.
As I frowned, Baek Jin-hwa composed herself and spoke.
“Whose information do you need?”
“Geomcheon Muheo.”
“…!”
“Tell me everything you can. Where he appeared from, where he disappeared to, what his personality is like, what he looks like. Everything possible.”
I handed over the entire purse from my breast pocket.
Clink, clink—
A tremendous amount of silver and gold coins spilled out.
Baek Jin-hwa’s eyes nearly rolled back at the sight.
Watching her reaction, I spoke once more.
“If possible, also find out about his Priest.”
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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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