The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 129

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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 129

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The first floor of the inn where Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon had clashed was long since reduced to a complete disaster.
It was difficult to find anything that hadn’t been destroyed, and as a result, the inn’s business on the first floor would have to be suspended for some time.
The server, along with the warriors and escorts who had come with the escort service, hurried to clean up the surroundings.
With such a considerable number of people, the cleanup seemed to finish quickly, but repairing the new tables, chairs, and broken walls would still require considerable time.
I sat in the guest house and gazed intently at the two of them.
Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon, who had continued to display confidence, were now swallowing their breath with their spirits utterly deflated.
They had regarded Namgung Yeon with competitive eyes, but soon they shifted their gaze to confirm me, then sighed heavily and could not lift their heads.
They could not have failed to hear the rumors about me, and I had proven that my skills were no mere exaggeration with a single clap of my hands.
These two, who understood how difficult such a feat was, naturally had their spirits broken.
I exhaled a small sigh and gazed at the two with their heads bowed.
Then I posed a question calmly.
“Tell me, do you two find the Nakhyang Jin Family amusing? Or do you believe that Hwasan and Jongnam can do whatever they wish?”
“Ha, Young Master, it is not such a thing… we simply became heated while eating.”
“Indeed. I hope you will not misunderstand.”
A far cry from what one would expect of the first disciples of a major sect.
Whether it was Hwasan or Jongnam, they understood that they could not ignore the financial power of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
I exhaled a sigh, leaned back in my chair, and turned my gaze toward Kang Han, the chief administrator who managed this place.
“How much do you estimate it will be?”
“Well… I would need to confirm precisely, but just the cost of new furnishings alone seems to require several dozen silver taels.”
At the mention of several dozen taels, Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon offered bitter smiles.
Such an amount was hardly significant to them.
Most of those who became first disciples were talented members of prominent families, after all.
But I was not sitting here merely to collect a few silver taels.
“There is more, is there not? The repairs you have made without reporting, despite them destroying the inn and fighting all this time.”
“Ha, yes, there are some. Of course, but… most of those were expenses I covered from my own pocket, so it is fine.”
Kang Han laughed awkwardly and shook his head. It was only possible to repair what others had destroyed using one’s own funds if there was sufficient reason.
He was making every effort not to fall out of favor with the two sects.
Without even needing to read Kang Han’s true thoughts, I could understand why he had spent his own money.
To fulfill his son’s dream of becoming a martial artist, to push him into the sects as a disciple of either Hwasan or Jongnam.
Initially, he likely had no intention of causing such a major incident.
But as increasingly larger incidents unfolded yet his son still desired to become a disciple of the rival sects, these disciples from Hwasan and Jongnam also sensed the situation and became increasingly brazen.
I turned my gaze once more and posed my question forcefully.
“How much?”
“…If I account for everything, it seems it would come to around three or four gold taels.”
“You have broken quite a lot.”
I let out a soft chuckle as I regarded Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon, and the two men flinched, struggling to lift their eyes before hastily averting their gaze.
This was far from being merely their problem alone.
If they could casually brawl in an inn without consequence, it meant such incidents occurred with alarming frequency—something that could hardly be attributed to just these two individuals.
Sometimes others participated, or entire groups.
Moreover, since they were perceived as bearing no responsibility for such actions, they simply carried on as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
I pressed my palm against my forehead and sighed at this absurd reality.
“Do you gentlemen have any idea what the daily revenue of the section you destroyed amounts to?”
“That… well, we haven’t really given it much thought.”
“Your arithmetic is severely lacking.”
The two men fumbled awkwardly for their response.
Since it belonged to the Nakhyang Jin Family, a substantial sum was inevitable, but voicing that figure aloud filled me with dread at what irreversible consequences might unfold.
I smiled gently and turned my gaze toward Kang Han.
“On a modest day, it amounts to roughly fifteen to twenty silver taels, and on a busy day, it reaches thirty taels or more.”
At those words, the complexions of Oh Hyeon and Baek Cheon drained to ashen gray.
For merely a single floor, the daily earnings ranged between fifteen and thirty silver taels.
Since one gold tael equaled twenty silver taels in value, they might find themselves liable for more than a single gold tael—a catastrophe indeed.
I steadied my breathing and fixed my gaze squarely upon them.
“That floor will be unusable for some time. How do you propose to resolve this matter?”
“*Cough* *Cough*!”
“Hmm…”
At this point, the situation had escalated beyond what these two could handle alone.
No matter how wealthy one’s family, spending a gold tael or two would make anyone tremble, but when the sum climbed to dozens of taels, it transcended what they could manage independently.
Ultimately, they would have to rely upon their family or sect.
While compensation could certainly be extracted, if such reckless expenditures resulted from their actions, I wondered whether any faction would view these two kindly afterward.
I regarded them silently and intently.
Cold sweat beaded and streamed down their faces in torrents.
Merely witnessing it brought a peculiar satisfaction to my chest.
Yet I could not simply stand by and savor their distress indefinitely.
I glanced sideways at Yang Jachun, who stood nearby.
“Yang Jachun, how much time do we have to spare?”
“Assuming no further complications arise, approximately ten days.”
“And if we were to spend five of those days?”
“That would still be sufficient.”
Yang Jachun answered without hesitation, as though he understood precisely what I sought to hear.
Even should unforeseen circumstances arise during our journey, he had determined that we could still arrive well within our timeframe if we pressed forward.
I nodded with satisfaction.
These two were chief disciples of Jongnam and Hwasan respectively.
While not supreme disciples, such an opportunity to directly witness the martial arts of these two pillar sects of the Righteous Path was exceedingly rare.
As a bonus, I could allow Namgung Yeon to gain invaluable experience—was this not a stroke of fortune?
I gazed upon the two men and lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.
“For the time being, I would appreciate it if you could serve as a sparring partner for Lady Namgung. Let us resolve this matter that way.”
“…Is that permissible?”
Two individuals who staked their lives on martial arts.
They too understood that opportunities to witness the martial techniques of the Namgung Family were exceedingly rare, so rather than hesitate, they brightened visibly and sprang to their feet with enthusiasm.
And they would not have to pay additional coin.
There was no reason for them to refuse a proposal that held nothing but advantage.
I regarded Namgung Yeon, who appeared somewhat flustered, and posed the question.
“What do you think? What is your view? From where I stand, I cannot imagine two better opponents for you to gain experience against.”
“I shall follow your wishes, Young Master.”
Namgung Yeon fixed a resolute gaze upon Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon.
Though she had demonstrated an elegant technique, deflecting and blocking their attacks while seizing the advantage, the fact that she had grown fatigued after merely a handful of exchanges suggested that had this been true combat, her life would already be forfeit.
Knowing this, she chose to redouble her efforts toward improvement.
I nodded with satisfaction and regarded the two men.
“For five days. I ask for your assistance during this time.”
“Ha ha ha! Understood! We welcome such an arrangement! Do we not?”
“To witness the swordplay of the Namgung Family for five days… we are most pleased.”
The two men, their spirits lifted, gleamed with delight and smiled brightly.

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“That is not it!”
“Goodness! Then what is it? I did it correctly!”
“A bit more—what is it? Like this, sharp and crisp! You know the kind! Why do you not understand?”
At the piercing volume of the voice, Chu Hyeongi’s brow furrowed.
Though he seemed to be performing adequately, Gu Gunbaek appeared to find something lacking in his execution.
It would be simple enough to teach him properly, yet there lay a fundamental difference in their positions: Gu Gunbaek deployed his martial arts instinctively, while Chu Hyeongi could not.
The question of why he could not do it, and how to accomplish it.
Chu Hyeongi, his frown refusing to ease, exhaled a sigh and surveyed his surroundings.
The number of fallen figures seemed endless.
Even if he employed both hands and feet, he could not count them all.
Observing this, Chu Hyeongi steadied his breathing.
One against many.
A situation he could scarcely believe he had created himself.
Compared to the time before meeting Gu Gunbaek, it was nothing short of extraordinary growth.
I began to understand why Jin Cheon-u had pushed him so relentlessly to learn and persevere.
“Ugh….”
Thwack!
Then.
A groan escaped from one of the prone figures.
Chu Hyeongi, as if by reflex, extended his foot and struck the man’s face. The groaning that had grated upon his ears ceased instantly, and the face of the man attempting to raise his head was driven into the earth.
Chu Hyeongi scratched his head as he watched.
“Is this really okay?”
“What is?”
“Well… these people are Green Forest Bandits.”
“So what if they’re Green Forest?”
It was Chu Hyeongi who was taken aback by the unexpected remark.
So what if they’re Green Forest?
It was as if he had never mingled with the Green Forest at all—that was the tone of his voice. No, more than that, he seemed completely unaware that he had ever been the Bandit King.
“No, Master, you were… the Bandit King, weren’t you? I just thought, well, they’re technically on the same side, so wouldn’t it be strange to beat them like this?”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I’m the Demon King, the Gung-ju. Don’t spout nonsense about kings.”
“…No, this guy definitely said something to you before he collapsed—’Your Majesty, what is this!’ or something like that.”
“Bah! You must have heard wrong. Do you really think the Gung-ju of the Southern Savage Palace would have anything to do with these lowly bandit scum?”
“….”
“Where are you spouting such nonsense? How irritating.”
Chu Hyeongi understood one thing clearly.
There was not a trace of intention to hide anything in Gu Gunbaek’s expression.
Which meant he truly had no memory of being the Bandit King.
Either it had simply been uninteresting to him, or he had genuinely never considered the position of Bandit King to be of great importance, and so it had been forgotten.
If Jin Cheon-u had been present, he would surely have stared with an incredulous expression and clicked his tongue.
Chu Hyeongi sighed and steadied himself.
What was the point in saying anything more?
“Anyway, are you getting used to it now?”
“I’m trying. It’s just difficult because I’m slow.”
“Ha ha ha! Well, at least you’re aware of it. Then, from now on, let’s pick up the pace a bit.”
“Pick up the pace from here?”
They were already moving at a speed so fast it was draining their stamina.
Though time had been lost along the way from beating down bandits and robbers, the fact that they had reached near Gansu in such a short span was an exceptional pace.
Yet Gu Gunbaek was urging them to hurry even more.
Chu Hyeongi tilted his head, not understanding.
“Aren’t we getting too far ahead of the Young Master?”
“That bastard will find his own way here just fine. What’s there to worry about?”
As Gu Gunbaek raised his fist slightly, Chu Hyeongi hastily stepped back and put distance between them.
He had no desire to get hit for an unnecessary remark.
At the sight of this, Gu Gunbaek clicked his tongue, slowly lowered his fist, and then turned toward the direction the wind was blowing, sniffing the air.
It was like watching a dog catching a scent.
At that peculiar moment, Chu Hyeongi let out a hollow laugh with a bewildered expression.
Suddenly, a smile began to spread across Gu Gunbaek’s face.
“It’s faded with time, but that’s definitely his scent.”
“What are you saying? Have you lost your mind?”
“Never mind—let’s go. That bastard’s direction is bothering me.”
“What?!”
Gu Gunbaek reached out and seized Chu Hyeongi by the nape of the neck.
In the next instant, he kicked off the ground and surged forward, his figure vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
A cry echoed—

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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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