The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 122

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

The Youngest Son of the Nakhyang Jin Family — Chapter 122

* * *

Jin Ga-muk, the Family Head of the Nakhyang Jin Family, was in better spirits than ever. It wasn’t simply because Jin Cheon-u’s name had set all of Hannam ablaze with talk.
Rather, it was because the return of the First and Third Siblings had significantly reduced his workload.
He’d been so overwhelmed managing even Jin Cheon-u’s duties—a young master who rarely touched administrative matters—that he’d barely found time to sleep. Now he could easily rest for four hours a day.
Moreover, hadn’t he finally gained some free time?
With enough hours to spare for leisurely walks through the grounds, the perpetually dark expression that had haunted his face began to fade, and the shadows beneath his eyes and his pallid complexion gradually returned to their natural hues.
As he wandered through the courtyard in this pleasant state of mind,
a familiar voice reached his ears.
“F-Family Head! Something terrible has happened!”
It was none other than Chief Administrator Yu Hyeon.
He rushed forward breathlessly, coming to a halt before Jin Ga-muk while gasping for air, then quickly steadied his breathing and looked up at him.
“What is it?”
“You must hurry and see for yourself!”
Yu Hyeon gestured urgently toward Jin Cheon-u’s annex. Though Jin Ga-muk couldn’t fathom what the matter was and his brow furrowed, he couldn’t ignore the urgency written across Yu Hyeon’s face.
He rushed toward Jin Cheon-u’s residence while asking,
“What on earth is happening?”
“I fear only you can stop this, Family Head.”
“What?”
At these cryptic words, Jin Ga-muk’s frown deepened further.
Had someone caused an accident?
Or had assassins infiltrated to target Jin Cheon-u?
Given how many incidents had occurred recently, his mind raced through countless possibilities.
Thus, he followed Yu Hyeon into Jin Cheon-u’s residence.
“This path leads to…?”
Following behind Yu Hyeon, Jin Ga-muk realized they were heading toward Jin Cheon-u’s training hall.
He couldn’t shake the question of what could possibly be happening there.
“Gack!”
“Ugh!”
“Aaahhh!”
Then,
sharp, anguished screams pierced the air from nearby.
Startled, Jin Ga-muk ran even faster.
Upon arriving at the scene, he was so shocked he couldn’t close his mouth.
“What… what is this…!”
Guard Commander Baek Ja-hyeon, along with Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon—Jin Cheon-u’s personal guards and attendants—
and beyond them, even the renowned martial artists Yang Jachun and some of the finest swordsmen within the family were sprawled across the floor, battered and bloodied.
Standing motionless in that place was none other than…
“Cheon-u… What on earth is this…?”
Jin Cheon-u.
He swung a wooden sword through the air, as if confirming something, then turned his gaze away as if dissatisfied with what he found.
Then, as if urging those writhing on the ground to move, he opened his mouth.
“Get up. You’re still intact, are you not?”
At those words, everyone present shuddered and clenched their teeth.

* * *

Simply refining one’s martial arts anew did not mean one could immediately apply them in practice.
Only after demonstrating them in actual combat and wielding them until hands and body grew accustomed could they truly be called complete.
Moreover, through such a process, one could further refine or discard unnecessary elements and techniques that didn’t suit one’s body.
For that, one needed a considerable number of test subjects.
Primarily those with genuine skill.
Those scattered about here were precisely such individuals.
Excluding Gu Gunbaek, they were among the few truly formidable masters within the Sega.
They were ideal opponents for refining martial arts, and for them, sparring with me offered an opportunity to elevate their own strength—a win-win situation.
“…Young Master, I think I’m dying.”
“H-haa… How much longer must we do this?”
Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon staggered to their feet.
Simultaneously, the others who had been lying motionless like corpses sensed the moment and rose as well.
Without exception, their condition was dire.
They had been doing this for nearly two hours already.
I scratched my head and offered a bitter smile.
“It seems almost complete, though….”
“What in the world is this madness?!”
At that moment, hearing a voice suddenly ring out, I turned my gaze.
There, approaching with an incredulous expression, was Father.
He examined my condition from head to toe as if assessing me, then turned his gaze to take in the sight of those who had become utterly wrecked.
“You did this?”
“Yes, Father. It was necessary.”
“It was… necessary?”
As I nodded, Father’s expression was remarkable.
It was as if he were witnessing something unbelievable.
Father then looked around again, examining the situation, taking in each person one by one, before gazing skyward and letting out a hollow laugh.
“You… defeated all these people without sustaining a single wound? And for two hours at that?”
“Yes, Father.”
Now I understood the source of his astonishment.
Those here were among the finest within the Sega. In particular, Baek Ja-hyeon serves as Guard Commander and is called the strongest of the Nakhyang Jin Family, while Yang Jachun is his second-in-command.
Along with Namgung Yeon, once called the greatest family under heaven, and Chu Hyeongi, the favored disciple of Gu Gunbaek.
After fighting those individuals for two hours, I simply could not believe the fact that I bore not a single wound.
Father’s lips twitched in an odd manner, and soon he turned away and spoke.
“Continue… as you were.”
“Family Head, Elder Brother-!”
Baek Ja-hyeon’s urgent cry pierced the air.
Though he seemed desperate to escape this situation by borrowing Father’s authority, I paid no heed to his shouts and left the training hall with Yu Hyeon, ignoring him entirely.
Was it merely my imagination that my steps seemed somewhat lighter?
For a moment, I chuckled softly at such a thought.
“Well, well? I’ve been sleeping while interesting things happen.”
At that moment, Gu Gunbaek stretched languidly and appeared before me.
His eyes swept the surroundings with interest, then fixed upon me with a displeased expression.
“Fun things should be done when I’m around.”
“I would not presume to do such with you, sir. That would not be training—it would be a true life-and-death struggle, would it not?”
“You foolish brat. That’s precisely how it sinks into your bones, isn’t it? Isn’t that right, Chu Hyeongi?”
Creak— creak—
Chu Hyeongi, who had suffered most at Gu Gunbaek’s hands, recalled those times and nodded awkwardly with a sickly pallor.
After all, Gu Gunbaek’s fists and my sword were incomparable.
It was while I harbored such thoughts.
Gu Gunbaek settled himself to one side and gazed at me intently.
“Did you gain anything?”
“Rather than gain, I refined what I already possessed.”
“Is that so?”
The moment Gu Gunbaek finished speaking.
Suddenly, I saw his form blur.
Without thinking, I retreated two steps and drew my sword, and simultaneously, Gu Gunbaek’s fist materialized before my eyes and came flying.
Clang—!
He deflected my blade with ease.
As if to verify what I possessed, his fists came in waves, interspersed with varied techniques.
Clang, clang, clang, clang—!
I collided and evaded, struggling to escape Gu Gunbaek’s assault. Yet his techniques drew me in like a whirlpool, ensnaring me without release.
Moreover, each seemingly casual strike carried considerable lethality.
Concentrating to the utmost to track his movements, I found sweat pouring down like rain despite the brevity of our exchange.
Thud—!
In that instant, a fist I failed to anticipate crashed into my chest.
Accompanied by terrible pain, my body was driven backward.
“Not bad at all? You’ve improved considerably since before.”
“…Thank you.”
“Hehehehe, and you’ve quite skillfully borrowed and adapted it. Others wouldn’t recognize it even if they saw it.”
Gu Gunbaek, having discerned the process by which my swordsmanship was forged, glanced at Namgung Yeon with a sardonic smile playing at his lips.
He must have felt that I had ground together her swordsmanship and Cheon Yul’s blade techniques.
I offered an awkward smile and scratched my head.
“It’s generally acceptable to deceive someone, as long as they don’t realize it.”
“Puhaha! That’s right, that’s right. Though it seems you still have much to refine.”
“I shall keep that in mind.”
“More importantly, when do you intend to depart?”
“You mean Namman, sir?”
“Wasn’t it urgent?”
“I plan to set out soon. There were some matters to attend to, were there not?”
It was true that I had reasons I must go to Namman.
However, the situation with the Hyang-un Sega had caused delays in resolving those matters. Added to that, I had undergone a process of refining my martial techniques anew, so the time for my departure had long since passed.
Gu Gunbaek did not seem to harbor any particular discontent.
After all, only he knew the location of the Jade Orb, and because of that, even those fellows had been unable to find it until now.
There was therefore no need for haste.
Still, it remained unchanged that I must recover it as quickly as possible.
“Whatever suits you, but the road ahead is long. You understand that, yes?”
“Yes, I expect it will take several months.”
“Several months? Once you go and return, it’ll be a full year.”
As Gu Gunbaek and I exchanged words, Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon’s complexions gradually turned ashen.
They had heard mention of an unexpected destination.
“Excuse me, Young Master… where exactly are we going?”
“Didn’t you hear? Namman.”
“That… Namman means… beyond Xinjiang… that place, what was it called…?”
“Close enough. The Demon Sect is right beside it. We could take a look while we’re there.”
“Gasp!”
“The… the Demon Sect?!”
Jang Chuchyeong’s eyes widened in alarm, and Namgung Yeon trembled with fright.
Whether one was a martial artist or not, there existed no one in these Central Plains who did not harbor fear of the Demon Sect.
Whether the Martial Arts Alliance or Sadocheon, they had absorbed countless families and organizations to become unified bodies, but the Demon Sect was different.
Centered around a single supreme master who inherited the title of Cheonma across generations, countless martial artists of the demonic way gathered together.
We call this the Ten Thousand Demon Dao.
In some ways, they resembled those fellows in feeling, but unlike those bound by religious faith, they pledged loyalty solely to the strong.
“The Demon Sect? Are you truly going there?”
“We are a merchant guild. We belong to none of the Three Hegemonies, so if there is profit to be made, we may visit. Moreover… unlike Shanxi, we have a branch there as well.”
“What exactly does the Nakhyang Jin Family do?”
Namgung Yeon wore an expression of disbelief that the Nakhyang Jin Family maintained a business location even in Mount Shiwandashan, where the Demon Sect existed.
Anyone would feel the same.
But if one knew that place, one’s thoughts would change.
Though not within Cheonsan itself, which could be called the true Demon Sect, the lower villages below it were places where many gathered, as they were quite suitable for trade.
Moreover, unlike Sadocheon, which monopolized all of Shanxi as their own territory and prevented business itself if one did not offer them profit, they did not do such things.
“Of course, if something comes up, I’ll go. But I have no intention of going out of my way, so rest assured.”
“Ah… yes, that… that’s right.”
Namgung Yeon finally exhaled a sigh of relief and nodded. There was no mystery to why she was so sensitive about the Dark Sect.
In the past, whenever the Dark Sect had stirred and invaded the Central Plains, it was the Namgung Family who had stood at the forefront to stop them, earning the greatest renown.
The reputation of the Number One Sword Sect had been earned precisely because of that, which meant that from the Dark Sect’s perspective, they were enemies whose teeth they would gladly gnash.
Even if that sect had fallen, would they not wish to tear apart such a clan if it stood before their eyes?
It was only natural that Namgung Yeon, who could not fail to understand such things, would be afraid.
“Then when do you plan to go?”
At that moment, Gu Gunbaek, who had been listening to the conversation, asked bluntly. The sensation that he was urging me forward was no illusion.
I regarded Gu Gunbaek with a peculiar expression.
He was not the sort to press me like this.
“What’s with that look? It’s just that it’s been so long since I returned that I wanted to show my face. I’m also wondering how Baek Gu is doing.”
“Understood. I will move once matters are settled.”
“What matters need settling? Tsk.”
I steadied my breathing as I listened to the discontent in Gu Gunbaek’s voice.
I understood his desire to leave as soon as possible, but for now I had to hone and polish my sword as much as I could.
Meeting Yeom Ji-hak in Anhui had taught me that my current level was inadequate. And I did not know when I might encounter Yeom Ji-hak again—or another master of his caliber.
That was precisely why I had to elevate my level further.
If I remained as I was, I could advance no further.
So I had to lay the foundation solid and firm once more.
To cut off their breath, I could not afford to pause for even a moment.
I grasped the wooden sword and turned my gaze.
I saw those who met my eyes flinch and tremble.
“What are you doing? Once you’ve rested sufficiently, come back.”

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