The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 143

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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 143

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“What in blazes is that woman?”
“Ten taels of gold… she produced them without hesitation. It’s unbelievable.”
At those words, Hyeon Illyang’s brow furrowed deeply.
The Gi Ryeon Hyeon Family was indeed renowned for their considerable wealth in Gansu. Even now, they carried roughly ten taels of silver in their purses and possessed a fair number of promissory notes.
Yet even combining all of that would scarcely yield two taels of gold, and here this woman had purchased an unknown blacksmith’s sword for ten taels of gold without blinking.
Even the Nakhyang Jin Family, whose wealth flowed like an endless river, would not commit such an act.
Either that woman possessed eyes sharp enough to discern the true worth of an object without even drawing the blade, or something else entirely was at play.
“Never have I seen such rotten luck.”
Hyeon Illyang let out a hollow laugh, his expression darkening.
There was no point venting his frustration on the blacksmith.
“What shall we do? Wasn’t that sword the one Young Master So was after?”
A groan escaped Hyeon Illyang’s lips at his subordinate’s words.
Of course, that sword was no ordinary blade.
Whether the woman’s eye was exceptional or not, compared to the other pieces displayed alongside it, this one far surpassed them all. Any true connoisseur would demand double—no, many times that ten taels of gold.
The sharpness of the blade, the exquisite craftsmanship, the perfectly straight spine of steel.
It was even beautiful.
He had intended to present it as a birthday gift to his father, believing it would eventually become his own. The sting of loss cut all the deeper.
Though he should have accepted the loss and moved on, desire—once ignited—demands satisfaction. His obsession with what he had lost before his very eyes only deepened.
Since childhood, he had obtained whatever he desired.
“Where are those women now?”
“I shall search for them—”
Clop, clop, clop—!
Then.
Suddenly, a massive carriage passed down the middle of the street.
Such a large carriage was a rare sight, so naturally people’s gazes turned toward it. In that instant, Hyeon Illyang’s eyes widened.
The women he had seen at the blacksmith’s forge were seated on the driver’s bench.
That they had spent such vast sums of gold and yet rode in such an ornate carriage made it abundantly clear they were the children of high officials or families of considerable means.
But this was Gansu, and within Gansu, there existed no woman of power and influence whom Hyeon Illyang did not know.
Therefore, these two women were not from Gansu.
If he handled the aftermath properly, everything would unfold as he desired.
As a bonus, he could even claim a woman of peerless beauty.
Was this not a stroke of fortune beyond measure?
Having made his decision, Hyeon Illyang’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Follow them.”
“Yes!”
No matter what happened, I could not afford to let this opportunity slip away.

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“You can drive a carriage, Physician?”
Namgung Yeon could not hide his astonishment as he watched Chaeseoha maneuvering the large carriage with such ease.
He had known of her exceptional medical skills, but given her nature, he had assumed she would never bother to learn something like driving a carriage.
“It’s because of Master Gu. His driving method was rather… quite rough.”
“Ah.”
“You do what you must to survive.”
Chaeseoha shuddered at the memory of the carriage Gu Gunbaek used to drive. In the end, to survive, she and Jang Chuchyeong had to take turns driving, and that was how she learned.
One could call it a blessing from Gu Gunbaek, but it was certainly not something she had wanted to learn.
“Regardless, those men from earlier—do you know who they are? They seemed quite famous.”
“I’m not entirely… In Gansu, I only know of the Allied Faction.”
Namgung Yeon furrowed her brow and shook her head.
Most of the martial sects and clans she knew of came from the mouth of Namgung Baek.
Naturally, if he had not mentioned them, she would not know of them.
Anhui and Gansu, especially.
Given the considerable distance between them, she had never paid them much attention.
“In any case, I’m relieved we escaped quickly. Getting entangled with such people never leads to anything good.”
“I share that sentiment. And… thank you for the sword.”
“Ah—I heard earlier that the blacksmith’s great-grandfather created it with the Number One Sword Sect in mind. Could it be…?”
“Given that it is said to have repelled the movements of the Demon Sect, there is no doubt. It feels almost… as though a family heirloom has returned.”
Namgung Yeon gripped the sword in her hand tightly and held it close.
Though it could not be called a possession of the Namgung Family since it was made to honor the Namgung Clan of old, which had once wielded great renown, merely holding it felt as though the ancestors of that era were protecting her.
The heavy burden seemed to have lightened somewhat.
Namgung Yeon then carefully looked toward Chaeseoha.
“I heard that you, Physician, are a descendant of Uiseon Chaega. Do you possess any family heirlooms?”
“Ah—that? I did. Two of them, in fact. But I don’t have them anymore.”
As an unwanted memory surfaced again, she smiled brightly at Namgung Yeon.
Her tone of voice was quite cheerful.
Rather, it was so bright that it seemed to say: ask no further.
As a result, Namgung Yeon, though curious, could not bring herself to ask.
She sensed an unease that suggested if she pried thoughtlessly, she would have to jump from the carriage and run.
Just as she quietly averted her gaze and held her breath.
Clop—clop—clop!
The rapid sound of hoofbeats came from behind the carriage.
As if someone were in pursuit.
It was not merely the sound of a horse accelerating toward some destination.
Yes, it felt as though something was chasing this very carriage.
The moment he laid eyes on his pursuers, the sense of foreboding deepened considerably.
Turning to look back, he spotted five mounted riders.
If masked figures came charging at a carriage in broad daylight, there could be only one conclusion.
“Physician!”
“I see them too! Hold on!”
Chaeseoha cracked the whip urgently, accelerating the carriage.
Masks could not conceal their identities from her.
The incident in Nanzhou and those men.
The numbers matched perfectly—there was no need for further deliberation. These were unmistakably figures from the Gi Ryeon Hyeon Family.
“Do they truly believe they can deceive us with such measures?”
“They’re not thinking about deception. If they rob and kill everyone, who would know their identities?”
“…!”
Namgung Yeon clenched his teeth and drew his sword.
Having not yet experienced much of the martial world, he had been thinking far too simply about the situation.
As Chaeseoha said, they would know deception was impossible. The most certain way to resolve this would be to kill them or imprison them forever.
“Steel yourself. Your role as the younger Namgung is crucial.”
At those words, Namgung Yeon nodded and steadied his resolve.
No matter how much they increased their speed, their pursuers were closing in far faster. It was clear as day that they would be caught within moments.
Namgung Yeon slowly drew his sword.
He felt the blade settle into his grip and steadied his breathing.
“I will protect you without fail.”
“I trust you.”
As she spoke, one of the men closed the distance.
They seemed intent on stopping the carriage, unleashing sword energy as they targeted the horse.
But Namgung Yeon’s blade was faster.
He smoothly received the incoming sword energy and twisted its trajectory aside.
“…!”
In the same moment, she shifted her body to the edge of the driver’s seat, her sword lashing out sharply toward the approaching attacker.
Clang—!
The man, caught off guard by this turn of events, barely managed to block the strike and fell back.
“Hold on!”
Chaeseoha, seizing the opportunity, cracked the whip even harder, causing the man’s horse to fall further behind as the carriage surged forward.
Namgung Yeon watched this and leaped onto the carriage roof.
Maintaining balance on the jolting roof was no easy task, but the roof was the most suitable position for defense.
“Ha! You show some skill! But how long can you hold out?”
With the voice of the rearmost attacker, four mounted men charged forward at greater speed, and soon unleashed a torrent of sword energy.
And that was not all.
One of them drew close, and using the saddle as leverage, launched himself onto the carriage roof.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!
As the cascading sword energy grazed his clothing and he flinched back, the man who had launched himself also landed on the roof.
Namgung Yeon’s sword came hurtling down without mercy.
Clang-clang-clang!
Despite the difficulty in maintaining balance, Namgung Yeon and the man exchanged relentless sword strikes, their blades clashing in fierce combat.
Then, Chaeseoha’s voice rang out.
“Jump!”
At the sharp cry that pierced the air, Namgung Yeon didn’t hesitate and threw herself forward.
Crash!
In that instant, the carriage lurched violently as if it had struck a stone, and seeing the man lose his footing, Namgung Yeon drove her blade forward without mercy.
Thud!
“Ugh?!”
She had aimed for his chest but missed, piercing his shoulder instead. Yet in this desperate situation, even such a wound proved devastatingly effective.
Seeing the man grit his teeth in agony and falter, Namgung Yeon extended her leg and struck his chest with a vicious kick.
Crack!
“Argh?!”
The man tumbled from the carriage, rolling across the ground multiple times as agonized screams tore from his throat.
But soon, regaining his senses, he whistled sharply to summon a horse and mounted it, galloping away without looking back.
It was a pathetic sight to behold.
Gritting her teeth, Namgung Yeon shouted toward the figure who appeared to be Hyeon Illyang.
“This sword was purchased fairly by us!”
“Ha—in the martial world, treasures belong to no one, you see? Wouldn’t it be wise for someone of your standing to hand it over to me?”
Hyeon Illyang’s gaze shifted from Namgung Yeon to Chaeseoha, who sat upon the coachman’s seat. With the silk veil torn away by the wind, her appearance was nothing short of breathtaking.
Hyeon Illyang smiled pleasantly and spoke once more.
“I shall spare your lives.”
“Spared only to be locked away somewhere, never knowing if the sun rises or sets.”
“Even covered in filth, the living world is better than the afterlife, wouldn’t you say? Ha.”
With those words, Hyeon Illyang drew his sword.
To anyone watching, this was no longer a situation for negotiation.
No matter how silver-tongued one might be, those two women would not listen. It seemed the time had come to stop the carriage and sever all hope.
Hyeon Illyang’s gaze fixed upon the horse pulling the carriage.
In that moment, drawing inner force from his dantian and channeling it into his blade, he unleashed a razor-sharp strike.
Whoosh!
“Physician!”
The sword energy that shot forth severed the reins binding the carriage to the horses.
In an instant, the horses bolted free while the massive carriage dragged along the ground, lurching violently before beginning to overturn.
At that moment, Namgung Yeon gritted her teeth and threw herself forward.
She rushed to the coachman’s seat, barely catching Chaeseoha as she flew like a severed kite, then pushed off with all her strength.
Boom-boom-boom!
As she leaped away, the carriage flipped and shattered behind them.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah… yes, I’m fine. And you, young lady?”
“I’m fine as well, but the situation doesn’t look particularly favorable.”
Namgung Yeon offered a bitter smile as he surveyed their surroundings.
The horse that had been tethered to the carriage had bolted, and the carriage itself lay in ruins.
Even if they wished to flee, their opponents had already taken their positions with swords drawn, making escape seem nearly impossible.
Worse still, they had to protect Chaeseoha, who possessed no martial prowess whatsoever, while facing five adversaries.
It was, without question, the worst possible scenario.
How I wish Jang Chuchyeong were here now.
Today, of all days, I found myself missing that damned fool.
Four masked men had quietly encircled the two women.
Among them, one stood out with eyes blazing with murderous intent—the man whose shoulder blade had been pierced moments before.
Those eyes alone promised a death as violent and thorough as being torn asunder.
Sensing such killing intent, Namgung Yeon smiled bitterly and steeled himself for what was to come.
“You should know whom you’re dealing with.”
“I’ll return that sentiment in kind. And regardless of who you are, this is Gansu, and I am the Young Master of the Gi Ryeon Hyeon Family.”
There was considerable pride in invoking the Gi Ryeon Hyeon Family, and Hyeon Illyang’s lips curled into a sneer as he leveled his sword.
Perhaps because capturing and imprisoning them—or simply killing them—would resolve the matter cleanly enough, he saw no need to concern himself overmuch with the aftermath.
Namgung Yeon drew in another measured breath.
Just as Hyeon Illyang had concluded moments before, she now understood with absolute certainty that words alone could not break them free from this predicament.
There was only one path forward.
“My blade may prove… rather sharp.”
A direct assault was their only option.

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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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