The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 130

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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 130

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Jin Ja-geom, one of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, furrowed his brow as he regarded the disciples before him.
The total number of first-generation disciples currently remaining at Hwasan was ten.
Yet when training time arrived yesterday and the day before, only nine appeared—one had been absent for several days now.
It had already been four days.
Given how carefree the boy was by nature, he had initially let it slide.
He knew the fellow occasionally descended the mountain, but the youth had grown so headstrong that it hardly seemed worth scolding him over such matters.
But two days had stretched into four, and now four had become four.
It had long since exceeded the bounds of reasonable tolerance.
Jin Ja-geom’s brow deepened as he posed his question.
“Where is Baek Cheon?”
“That… we don’t know, sir.”
“He hasn’t returned to his quarters either.”
At the words of the other disciples, Jin Ja-geom’s eyes grew sharp.
It struck him as peculiar that a fellow disciple from the same lineage had been absent for four days without a single brother attempting to search for him.
With eyes narrowed to slits, he examined each disciple standing before him one by one.
Flinch—flinch—
Each time his gaze met theirs, the younger disciples visibly recoiled.
From their reactions alone, it seemed they had already learned what transpired in the village below.
A sigh escaped Jin Ja-geom’s lips.
His breath came heavy with exasperation.
“Let me guess. He went down to the village without permission and caused trouble again. But this time, it’s trouble he can’t handle on his own.”
“Gasp!”
“…!”
At Jin Ja-geom’s words, the disciples blanched, their faces draining of color in shock.
Their unusually intense reaction suggested this was no trivial incident.
Had it been something minor, they would have simply buried it under Hwasan’s name and moved on.
“Did he get into a fight with Zhongnan?”
“…That is… yes…”
“He fought them but hasn’t returned? Did he lose badly?”
“No, sir! That is… we heard that a member of the Namgung bloodline appeared and stopped it… we heard…”
At the mention of Namgung, Jin Ja-geom’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was a name he seldom heard, yet one everyone knew.
“Namgung? You mean the Namgung Clan I know of?”
“Yes… they say he intervened between Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon.”
“To that degree of skill?”
This is also quite surprising.
The Namgung Clan’s collapse happened long ago.
Though their name surfaced occasionally afterward, they never regained their former glory, and I understand that Namgung Baek, who is currently active, is treated as little more than a plaything by Moryeong Hyeok.
So a swordmaster from such a fallen Namgung has risen to a level where they can stand between the disciples of Hwasan and Jongnam?
And a direct descendant of Namgung at that?
The situation felt somewhat perplexing.
But there was something even more incomprehensible than that.
Simply because they encountered the Namgung Clan, what could be so serious as to prevent their return for four days?
As I regarded my disciples with a puzzled gaze, a trembling voice emerged once more.
“The thing is… they fought at the Yunlong Inn, and the place was completely destroyed. But the one who appeared there alongside someone from the Namgung Residence was none other than the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family…”
At those words, Jin Ja-geom nodded as if understanding.
Indeed, if it was the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family, they were an opponent whom even Baek Cheon’s background and Hwasan’s name could not easily overcome.
But while this side may have been at fault, it troubled me that even the Jin Family would keep a disciple of Hwasan away for four whole days without sending them back.
Moreover, I felt somewhat disrespected by the situation.
Jin Ja-geom exhaled a sigh and began to move.
“Continue your training.”

* * *

In the training hall prepared within the annex of the Yunlong Inn, three men and women continued to wield their swords without pause.
They seemed to care little about who was winning or losing.
The sight of them, occupied only with discerning their opponent’s martial techniques and devising counters, could well be called the visage of madmen intoxicated by the martial way.
“They’re truly insane.”
“I share that sentiment.”
The training hall’s scene was visible through the window of my room. Because of this, I could see better than anyone how long they wielded their swords and how fiercely they exchanged blows.
Over these four days, without even needing to venture to the training hall, I had gained the opportunity to observe the martial techniques of all three, and thus I had spent a remarkably satisfying time.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
They wielded their swords day and night without rest.
Except when eating or sleeping, they never left the training hall.
This was not merely true of Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon.
Namgung Yeon was the same.
She, who had always trained alone, had finally reached a situation where she could cross swords with another and fill her shortcomings, so she seemed to regard even rest time as wasteful.
Thanks to this, I had gained more than I initially expected, but I was growing weary of the constant sound of clashing blades echoing day and night.
Chaeseoha felt the same way.
She, too, touched medicinal herbs with vacant eyes.
She ground them finely into powder, then mixed in something unknown to create a thick paste.
Then, after applying it to her own face, she quietly approached me and began spreading it evenly across my stationary face.
I regarded her with a bewildered expression.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you mean? I haven’t been able to sleep because of all that clashing noise, so my skin has suffered greatly. This helps with skin recovery…”
“Enough.”
“Tch… Poor skin makes you look older, they say.”
I shook my head dismissively at Chaeseoha’s remark.
I had never lived my life worrying about such trivial matters as skin condition.
Besides, mine was smooth enough.
I turned my gaze back toward the window.
The fierce sword exchange between the three men and women had come to an end, and I could see them now sitting exhausted, their breathing ragged.
Unexpectedly, I had absorbed something valuable into my mind.
The martial arts of Hwasan and Jongnam were fundamentally different in nature from those of Namgung—they followed an entirely different path from what I possessed, so I wondered if I might be able to create something more diverse.
Even if that weren’t the case, merely observing was sufficient education in itself.
I would have preferred to witness more profound martial techniques, but at this moment, what I had was not merely enough—it was overflowing.
As I watched for a brief moment.
I found myself frowning without realizing it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Guests.”
I sensed the presence of individuals who had reached a considerable level of mastery.
It was not merely one person.
Two?
With that thought, I rose quietly from my seat.
Pap-pap-pap-pat!
Suddenly, a sound erupted from the empty air, and someone stepped upon the rooftop, unfolding tremendous lightness of movement before descending with a thunderous crash into the training hall.
The same occurred on the opposite side.
While the first arrival’s lightness of movement carried a weighty, substantial quality, the second’s was ornate and appeared light as a feather.
Like petals of plum blossoms drifting down to settle.
The gazes of the two naturally turned toward their surroundings.
Then, confirming Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon standing in stunned silence, they nodded and redirected their attention.
In that instant, our eyes met.
No—it was not me.
The two who had descended were facing each other.
Simultaneously, sword strikes erupted.
Clang-clang-clang!
Sparks flew repeatedly from the clashing blades, and an impossibly crystalline sound of sword strikes filled the training hall.
Exchange after exchange of martial techniques carried the unwavering determination that neither would yield, until finally, unable to bear the silence between them any longer, a rough male voice rang out resoundingly.
“Hihihi! You madman, it’s been so long! What are you doing in a place like this!”
“Mind your tongue. You’re nothing but a commoner.”
“Commoner?! You tiger-faced bastard!”
Each time the two swords collided madly, tremendous sword winds swept across the space.
Even Namgung Yeon, Baek Cheon, and Oh Hyeon, who had occupied their original positions, were nearly swept away by the violent gale.
The sword exchange between the two grew increasingly fierce, and eventually they drew upon their spiritual energy, infusing it into their sword force.
Whoooosh-whoooosh-whoooosh-crash!
In an instant, sword qi erupted between them like a tempest.
Their intent was absolute—victory or nothing.
I couldn’t fathom why they had suddenly begun fighting, but it was clear they both believed with unwavering certainty that they would emerge victorious.
To anyone watching, they seemed oblivious to where they were or why they had come—their minds held nothing but the battle itself.
I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose, observing them.
Like master, like disciple.
Could two people truly be this identical?
I exhaled a long breath and let out a hollow laugh.
Shhhhwoom—!
One of the sword qi they had hurled at each other suddenly veered toward me.
A force both heavy and razor-sharp.
Noting Chaeseoha’s alarm, I threw myself out the window.
As the blade qi came screaming toward me, I drew my sword in one fluid motion.
My extended blade consumed it in an instant, then hurled it away.
Boom—!
The redirected sword qi shattered the roof’s edge before dissipating into nothing.
Crack—
I heard debris falling from above strike the ground as I turned to face the two men with an expression of utter disbelief.
“Is this characteristic of Hwasan and Zhongnan? Drawing your blades and swinging them without regard for location or who might be present?”
“….”
“Good heavens!”
I frowned at the two middle-aged men before me.
One was unmistakably from Zhongnan.
The embroidered character “十” on his chest, displayed alongside the Zhongnan Sect’s symbol, proved he was no ordinary disciple—he was the youngest of the Chonnam Ten Swords, a master of considerable renown.
And the other.
When I turned my head, I saw a figure dressed somewhat differently from Baek Cheon.
Yet I recognized him immediately as one of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
The sword in his hand was the legendary Plum Blossom Blade they took such pride in.
I cupped my fist in salute toward both of them.
“I am Jin Cheon-u of the Nakhyang Jin Family.”
“I am Hwasan’s Sword Master.”
“Ha Hyeok-jun of Zhongnan!”
Hwasan’s Sword Master and Zhongnan’s Ha Hyeok-jun.
Now I understood who these two were.
Jin Ja-geom, the youngest of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, and Ha Hyeok-jun, the youngest of the Chonnam Ten Swords.
They were the legendary rivals known for their fierce rivalry—the dragon and tiger locked in eternal combat.
Now I finally understood the relationship between Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon.
Whether master and disciple or something else, it was no wonder their disciples behaved this way.
I smiled and asked them a question.
“Shall we continue?”
“Hmm— so this brat managed to subdue Cheon-yul. I see he possesses even greater confidence than the rumors suggested.”
“Interesting. His spirit doesn’t waver even standing before us.”
The two figures spoke with voices that carried both threat and intrigue. Then, turning from their mutual gaze, they suddenly looked toward me.
Their eyes were piercing.
I could distinctly feel the weight of their intimidation through mere sight alone.
Laughter escaped me unbidden.
“I’m not just someone who subdued Cheon-yul—I’m a man who walked away alive from standing before Cheonju himself. With the presence of that Death Emperor still vivid in my memory, why would I fear now?”
“…!”
“Heh….”
Could the aura of mere mortals like you compare to that of an Emperor?
At my provocative words, the expressions of both men hardened. A sharpness that hadn’t been apparent before now pierced through my entire body like an awl.
Yet I brushed it aside without concern.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen and the Chonnam Ten Swords.
They were essentially the ones who led Hwasan and Jongnam forward.
They had reached heights incomparable to Baek Cheon or Oh Hyeon, who trembled with ashen faces over there, and the depth of their martial arts was entirely different.
This was too good an opportunity.
I smiled naturally and met the aura of both men.
Crack—!
“…!”
“…?!”
As my spiritual energy clashed with that of the two men, the ground split beneath us.
Surprise filled the eyes of Jin Ja-geom and Ha Hyeok-jun, as if they had not expected such direct confrontation.
“So you’re the young upstart who’s been surprising people all day.”
Thinking my unleashed aura was a challenge directed at them, both men’s expressions darkened.
But they would not refuse a challenge once accepted.
Their eyes conveyed exactly that meaning.
I nodded and raised my sword.
“Consider the broken roof settled with this.”
Then, with a sharp grin, I swung my blade.
At the same moment, the swords of Jin Ja-geom and Ha Hyeok-jun moved as well.
Thus three brilliant flashes of light converged, each seeking to strike the others.

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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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