The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 127

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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 127

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Aside from my encounter with Ho Yeon-jin and the Martial Arts Alliance, the escort service was progressing toward Gansu far more smoothly than I had anticipated.
Taking a different route from them proved to be the right choice—after more than ten days had passed and we had crossed from Hannam into Shaanxi, we still had not encountered them.
Though we had taken a slight detour, the journey felt all the easier for it.
While there was a fixed deadline for our arrival at the Allied Faction, we had departed earlier than planned, so we moved at a leisurely pace, resting when we wished and eating when we pleased.
If we continued without incident at this rate, we would arrive with ample time to spare.
As a result, not only the warriors bearing the heaviest burden appeared quite at ease, but even the vigilant escort guards seemed remarkably comfortable.
Since there was no urgency, the escort service moved without haste, and since we spared no expense in food and drink, it was only natural that everyone’s complexions remained ruddy and healthy.
“Young Master, is that place called Hwasan?”
At that moment, Namgung Yeon’s voice reached my ears.
Her gaze pointed toward a massive mountain visible in the distance. Though it appeared close enough to see, reaching it would actually require considerable time.
I smiled and shook my head.
“That is Jongnam. Look further east. The mountain visible over there—that is Hwasan.”
“That one…”
Namgung Yeon turned her head to follow my finger, gazing upon Hwasan. This distance too was considerable, but certainly closer than Jongnam.
Thanks to this vantage point, I could see the plum blossom trees that dotted the mountainside.
They bloomed in such vivid crimson that one could understand why the form of Hwasan’s sword technique had taken the plum blossom as its inspiration.
Merely looking upon them, the fragrance of the blossoms seemed to drift thickly through the air.
Chaeseoha, who had been following behind, urged her horse forward and took a position beside me before asking a question.
“I don’t know much about the martial arts world, but I heard the relationship between Hwasan and Jongnam wasn’t good?”
“There is no relationship as good as that between Hwasan and Jongnam.”
“Pardon?”
“Eh?”
It was a common misconception among those unfamiliar with the martial arts world. When two sects fiercely competed over the same territory, it was natural to assume their relationship was poor.
And indeed, fights broke out frequently between them.
I recalled that among the countless battles I had witnessed in Shaanxi in the past, more than sixty percent involved Hwasan and Jongnam.
But that alone could not determine whether their relationship was truly poor.
“Jongnam teaches its disciples never to fall behind Hwasan, and Hwasan believes losing to Jongnam is a disgrace. Yet this is done solely to cultivate competitive spirit.”
“Competitive spirit?”
“Yes, do you think only Hwasan and Jongnam exist in Shaanxi?”
At my question, both Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon tilted their heads in confusion.
When one thinks of Shaanxi, Jongnam and Hwasan naturally come to mind.
Other martial sects here are unknown to anyone who does not live in this region.
But there are far more than one might think.
Some possess histories as long as those of Jongnam and Hwasan themselves.
“Between Jongnam and Hwasan lies the Yeosan Sect, which possesses equally ancient roots, and in Luochuan stands the Luochuan Xu Family, which has held its position for three hundred years.”
The Yeosan Sect was much the same, but the Nakhyang School was also a major faction comparable to Jongnam and Hwasan. One could tell simply from the fact that it had endured without collapse for so long, maintaining its position.
Beyond that, Shaanxi was a place where numerous minor sects thrived, making it the region where territorial disputes in the Righteous Martial Arts World were most fiercely contested.
“Hwasan and Jongnam must have realized it. They couldn’t survive without competition. So they made each other their rivals, using that rivalry to draw out greater strength.”
When Hwasan advanced a step, Jongnam gnashed its teeth and struggled to advance two. Seeing such effort, Hwasan couldn’t remain idle either.
As this continued endlessly, whenever other sects grew, those two would rise even higher.
That is what Hwasan and Jongnam are today.
“Ah, so that’s the nature of their relationship?”
“The disciples of both sects are famous for quarreling loudly even within the Martial Arts Alliance, but there’s a reason no one stops them.”
As we continued our journey while exchanging such conversation.
The procession had already entered Xian, the capital of Shaanxi, and naturally moved toward where the Unryong Inn stood.
The moment we came to a halt at our destination.
A peculiar sound echoed from within.
“You damnable bastard?!”
“Hahaha! Instead of wasting time cursing, go till the fields and work on Hwajeon. Do we even have dinner prepared for the priests tonight?”
Someone’s angry cry and the mocking voice of another.
As the voices from within the Unryong Inn struck my ears, I found myself frowning involuntarily.
Surely not?
With that thought, the moment I dismounted from my horse.
Clang-clang-clang!
The familiar sound of clashing blades rang out ceaselessly.
Soon the tightly shut inn door burst open, and people who had been dining inside began pouring out in a rush.
The expressions of those who emerged were far from pleasant.
“Again?! Again! How many times is this now?!”
“Please, just let us eat in peace!”
Clang—clang-clang! Crash! Bang! Crunch—!
All manner of sounds erupted from within.
The clash of swords, the sound of things breaking and tumbling about.
It seemed they weren’t merely exchanging sword strikes with each other, but inflicting considerable damage upon the entire inn.
“Aaah! What do I do! More money’s going to be spent again.”
At the voice that rang out then, I found myself turning my head.
A single figure sat slumped, staring blankly into the inn from which fierce sounds continued to emanate.
Whether he had endured considerable hardship in this place, he bore the familiar resignation of one accustomed to despair, and the sole remaining strand of hair upon his head swayed with the wind.
Soon even that, as if embodying his current state of mind, scattered and flew away with the breeze.
I closed my eyes tightly as I watched it go.
The innkeeper who oversaw the Unryong Inn in Xian.
A man named Kang Han.
Unaware that I had arrived, he sat there in despair, and I approached with a bitter smile, patting his shoulder.
“How have you been?”
“W-who… Gasp?!”
At my sudden voice, Kang Han turned to me with a bewildered expression, then immediately recognized me and gasped in astonishment.
My expression had frozen in place, unmoving, and my complexion had turned as pallid as a corpse—all color drained from my face.
Anyone who saw me would have thought I’d died from shock.
My courage remained as small as a bean.
But my loyalty to the Nakhyang Jin Family was genuine.
In the past, shortly after the Jin Family’s collapse, while fleeing from those assassins, I happened to meet Kang Han, who ran a modest inn, and he sheltered both the penniless me and Jang Chuchyeong for nearly a month.
He fed us, gave us shelter, clothed us.
He did everything for us.
Thanks to him, I had memories of those days filled with warmth and satiation.
Until the Shadow Assassins came looking.
I forced myself to erase the image of Kang Han falling to their blades and managed a small smile.
“What is the matter?”
“Young Master So… that is… hehehehe— Oh Hyeon of Jongnam and Baek Cheon of Hwasan are…”
Unable to find the words to explain what was happening, Kang Han collapsed into despair, his expression as though his very soul had departed.
He seemed not to know how to even describe this situation.
But I could quickly discern what was occurring.
Crash—!
Suddenly, the inn’s wall shattered, and two figures burst forth. They clashed their swords repeatedly in mid-air before descending to the ground, exchanging martial techniques.
Clang—!
A sharp, piercing ring echoed painfully through the air.
At the same time, their inner energy was formidable—the wind that erupted from each collision was extraordinarily fierce.
And with that.
—Wow!
—Well done! Beat anyone!
Cheers erupted from various corners of the inn.
Except for those whose meals had been interrupted, everyone seemed captivated by the fierce duel unfolding before their eyes.
Like the arena in Dowon Village.
I glanced at it briefly and bit my lip.
“I suppose I’ll have to stop them.”
The crowd’s cheers were unexpected, but I judged that stopping the two of them before further damage occurred was the priority.
I glanced subtly at Namgung Yeon.
I saw her tilt her head with a puzzled expression.
When I gestured with a slight jerk of my chin toward the two locked in combat, Namgung Yeon pointed at her own face with her finger, as if asking if she was really the one to do it.
When I nodded in response, not only Namgung Yeon but even Namgung Baek beside her turned visibly pale.
Was it really so easy to wedge oneself between disciples of Hwasan and Jongnam and stop them?
It was clear they understood this well.
“What are you doing? Stop them. If this continues, the damage will spread elsewhere.”
Namgung Baek hurried over and shook his head in protest, but I kept my gaze fixed on Namgung Yeon, and instead asked with a slight smile.
“Should I do it?”
“No!”
Only then did Namgung Yeon reconfirm her position.
That’s right—this is no request between friends.
Given the clear master-servant relationship, I cannot and must not question the master’s commands.
If I consider the orders given and my own safety, I should understand that now is not the time for her to simply stand and watch.
Whoosh—!
Namgung Yeon propelled himself forward, his footwork a blur of motion.
Let’s see just how far I can push this.

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Baek Cheon, the foremost disciple of Hwasan, gritted his teeth as he parried the relentless assault from Oh Hyeon, a disciple of Jongnam.
The gap in their abilities was not so vast that despite having exchanged more than fifty strikes, neither had gained the upper hand.
They both felt it.
This was different from last time.
And different still from the time before that.
Though they met only once every few months, each encounter made them acutely aware that both had grown stronger.
Thus both gritted their teeth.
This time, they would settle it once and for all.
Just as they were about to swing their blades with that resolve—
Whoosh—!
A wind swept across the arena.
With the sudden gust came a sharp presence that caught both their attention.
They turned their eyes to confirm what they sensed.
‘A woman?!’
An unknown woman.
Yet the sharpness infused in her drawn blade was formidable.
Her sword drove between theirs, intercepting both, then with a surge of force she swept left and right with blinding speed.
Clang—!
The metallic ring echoed as Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon retreated, their brows furrowing.
Beyond the momentum in her blade, the very manner in which she had wedged herself between their swords and expelled them in one fluid motion revealed that she had attained a considerable level of mastery.
Baek Cheon, Oh Hyeon, and Namgung Yeon.
The three exchanged silent glances, studying one another.
As if maintaining a wary distance.
It was Oh Hyeon of Jongnam who smiled with a sharp grin.
“Do you wish to test yourself as well, my lady?”
“No, I would ask that you cease—”
“If you have the skill to intervene between us, then I shall acknowledge your strength!”
Whoosh!
Though she had stepped into the fray to stop the fight, her intervention seemed only to provoke the two further.
Oh Hyeon’s blade swept toward Namgung Yeon.
Baek Cheon moved to intercept it.
Clang!
As Namgung Yeon stepped back, simultaneously Baek Cheon’s blade transformed and grazed her neck.
Whoosh!
In the moment the sweeping sword barely brushed the tip of her nose, Oh Hyeon’s blade thrust forward with weighty momentum toward Baek Cheon’s chest.
Boom!
Watching Baek Cheon fly backward with a resonant impact, the instant Oh Hyeon quickly turned his head, Namgung Yeon’s sword moved as if it had been waiting.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
The Namgung Family’s swordsmanship was precise and meticulous.
Not a single opening could be found, and it was swift yet heavy.
Once the momentum flowed, it was extraordinarily difficult to break the rhythm of such swordsmanship, so Oh Hyeon had no choice but to retreat hesitantly with a startled expression.
“Stop this…!”
“Don’t just play among yourselves!”
The moment Namgung Yeon tried to speak again to stop the fight, Baek Cheon, who had flown away, launched himself back into the air and moved his blade.
Namgung Yeon caught the scent of plum blossoms in that instant.
A sword moving slowly and descending began to draw a single plum blossom.
This was none other than Hwasan’s Plum Blossom Sword.
And the realm of sword fragrance that appeared only in the Plum Blossom Sword.
Creating a flower with a sword was absurd enough, but the fact that a fragrance emanated as if one actually possessed that flower was even more astounding.
The very process of a single flower being drawn dizzied the eyes and clouded the mind.
Then.
“Where does this bastard get off with such tricks!”
With Oh Hyeon’s voice, his blade too was swung with concentrated momentum. It felt as though it possessed the power to sever a blooming plum blossom.
This was the sword of Jongnam.
The momentum felt incomparably stronger than anything before.
A quick glance—
Namgung Yeon hastily looked toward Jin Cheon-u.
She harbored a faint hope that he might offer assistance, but he merely stood with his arms crossed, a smile playing at his lips as he watched.
In the end, she had to overcome this ordeal alone.
Namgung Yeon gritted her teeth.
One wielded the Transforming Sword, the other the Heavy Sword.
Then she would demonstrate the subtlety of the Dominating Sword.
She drew upon her inner energy and gripped her blade firmly.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-crash!
“…!”
“What?!”
The one called the Number One Sword Sect—
The Namgung Family’s Boundless Azure Heaven Sword Technique revealed itself to the world once more.

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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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