The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 150

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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 Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 211

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“You’re certain they’re in a place like this?”

The Azure Dragon Society.

Members gathered in small clusters were combing through the vicinity leading toward Shanxi with meticulous thoroughness. The universal displeasure etched across their faces made it abundantly clear that none of them relished this assignment.
Paeng Dohan, surveying the surroundings as he walked, turned his gaze toward Moryeong Hyeok.
The figure leading the vanguard nodded while reviewing the intelligence.
“No doubt about it. They’re definitely somewhere in this vicinity.”
“Sigh— I have no desire to search through these mountains. Why must we be the ones handling this in the first place?”
A man exhaled a lengthy sigh, his brow furrowed in irritation.
Hwangbo Yun.
A member of the Eight Great Families and someone who held considerable standing within the Azure Dragon Society.
He cast a disapproving glance at Moryeong Hyeok and clicked his tongue—a far cry from the obsequious demeanor he had displayed in the past, hovering nearby with flattery.
Anyone observing would recognize that Moryeong Hyeok’s position had diminished considerably.
Did this displease him?
Moryeong Hyeok’s gaze shifted toward Hwangbo Yun, and he spoke with a chilling edge, his eyes sharp as blades.
“If you lack the will, you’re free to leave.”
“Leave? The Society Master has commanded it, so it must be done.”
Moryeong Hyeok and Hwangbo Yun faced one another.
One’s expression dripped with mockery; the other’s betrayed profound displeasure.
The atmosphere had become utterly unbearable.
As the surrounding members grew anxious, uncertain how to proceed, Paeng Dohan finally stepped in to defuse the tension.
He separated the two and spoke.
“Now, now—I understand both your positions. Hyeok’s frustration and Yun’s as well. It’s true we moved without proper intelligence gathering beforehand. But since we’ve committed to this course, let’s refrain from complaining. Hyeok is making a genuine effort, after all.”
At Paeng Dohan’s words, Hwangbo Yun’s expression soured, but he soon exhaled a resigned sigh and returned to where the others had gathered.
Yet his underlying discontent remained plainly visible.
His gaze remained decidedly unfavorable.
Observing this, Paeng Dohan scratched his head and looked toward Moryeong Hyeok.
“Don’t be too harsh either. I understand your feelings, but truthfully, this wasn’t something we needed to involve ourselves in, nor did we need to rush into it so urgently.”
“It’s merely a matter of apprehending a band of ruffians. I fail to see why such thorough investigation would be necessary.”
“Well, that’s….”
Paeng Dohan, about to broach the past, fell silent. It concerned that incident—the matter of the Black Ox Society—when they had approached without proper intelligence.
He could not bring up that tragedy again with Moryeong Hyeok, who had suffered the greatest losses.
He simply exhaled a sigh and shook his head.
“What in the world are these bastards doing….”
“You saw it yourself, didn’t you? An entire village reduced to rubble. We’re moving to resolve this before something worse happens.”
At Moryeong Hyeok’s resolute words, Paeng Dohan offered a bitter smile and nodded in agreement.
The reason they had hastily taken on this task despite lacking proper intelligence.
Anyone among the Dragon’s Ascension members present would understand, which meant dissenting voices like Hwangbo Yun’s were inevitable.
The obvious reason was clear—he was attempting to reclaim his shaken position of authority.
Though Paeng Dohan himself was deeply reluctant, knowing Moryeong Hyeok’s pride, he couldn’t fault his friend for making the effort.
In the end, he nodded and steeled his resolve.
“Fine then! Let’s handle this cleanly, shall we? Spectacularly so. Ha! The name of our Dragon’s Ascension will resound throughout the Central Plains!”
“…That’s reassuring.”
Was it because of such words?
Moryeong Hyeok nodded with a faint smile playing at his lips.

* * *

A massive merchant caravan departed Luoyang and turned northward.
Our destination was Shanxi.
From there, we would veer northwest, passing through the Great Desert and the vast steppes. The mere thought of such an impossibly long journey made my breath catch in my chest.
But I steadied my mind.
Since I had already resolved to go, this extended journey would grant me time to rebuild and refine everything I had learned and experienced thus far.
Or rather…
“Mu Heo.”
The image of the manager I had witnessed in Namman.
The sword form of Mu Heo that he had displayed while wielding his blade.
If I could capture even a fraction of that seemingly unreachable technique, perhaps I might transcend my previous realm of understanding.
I intended to complete that pursuit during this long journey.
Clop, clop—
I stood at the very front and glanced back.
The endless procession of the caravan stretched behind me in a magnificent sight.
The slowly moving, boundless column resembled watching a serpent undulate across the land.
Among them, one figure stood out distinctly.
None other than Cheon Yul.
He clung to Namgung Yeon and Chaeseoha like sticky rice cake, refusing to separate, and it appeared to have irritated Namgung Baek.
“That bastard… Tsk!”
“Leave him be.”
“Is that wise? Even for someone like Soocheonchu, he’s overstepping…”
“He’s the type who exhausts himself trying. He’ll remove himself soon enough, so there’s no need to concern yourself.”
Namgung Baek, knowing his own strength was insufficient to do anything about it, watched Cheon Yul with an expression of displeasure, but the moment their eyes met, he seemed to lose his nerve and quickly averted his gaze.
I shook my head at the sight.
“By the way, have you ever been to the Northern Ice Palace?”
“Ah, yes. Once. Even now, thinking of it sends chills down my spine. I can’t even fathom why I’m going there again.”
Namgung Baek trembled as memories of his past journey to the Northern Sea surfaced.
One could sense his ordeal simply by observing the pallid, lifeless expression etched across his face.
He had endured considerable suffering.
“Is there anything I should know?”
“Simply avoid heading toward Mount Eternal Snow.”
“The snow mountain?”
“Yes, there are two routes leading to the Northern Ice Palace, and the fastest is to traverse directly through Mount Eternal Snow. However… that place is rather… quite terrifying.”
At the mention of Mount Eternal Snow, I furrowed my brow.
I had heard of it before.
A place perpetually shrouded in snow and ice, or so I’d been told?
Moreover, given its nature as a mountain, the bitter cold there surpasses that of other regions. It is renowned as a place even the people of the Northern Ice Palace rarely venture toward.
“You survived remarkably well.”
“It was hell. Over fifty of us went, yet I alone was fortunate enough to return alive.”
I nodded at his words.
Yet could one truly attribute the survival of a single person while forty-nine perished to mere fortune?
Unless the fallen had made desperate efforts to ensure Namgung Baek’s survival, the probability of him returning alone would be virtually nonexistent.
I let out a soft chuckle.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes? Ah, yes! Please trust in me!”
Namgung Baek struck his chest with confident assurance.
He appeared resolved to ensure this journey succeeded without complication, no matter the circumstances.
Observing his determination, I turned my gaze forward once more.
The narrow path had gradually widened. In response, I began incrementally increasing our pace.
What had been moving at the speed of a crawling tortoise now felt considerably swifter.
At this rate, I thought we might enter Shanxi before long.
We continued forward for quite some time.
To enter the village by evening, I had to keep the group moving without rest, offering what reassurance I could.
Yet was life determined to remind me of its harshness?
Rumble—
Thunder suddenly echoed across the clear sky.
Glancing upward, dark clouds were gathering ominously.
This was no mere passing shower; even the wind that swept toward us carried an ominous quality.
“Young master, it looks like rain is coming.”
“I can see that.”
At Jang Chuchyeong’s words, I nodded and surveyed our surroundings.
Though considerable distance remained before reaching the village, the ominous weather made further progress seem impossible.
Moreover, the sun was already beginning to set.
I paused to consider.
Should I expose all these people to torrential rain and force them to sleep outdoors, or should I push forward and reach the village?
The answer was singular.
“We’ll move faster.”
“Yes!”
Everyone shouted in agreement at my words.
After all, no one wanted to sleep in the rain.
The procession began to accelerate.
Patter, patter—
The falling raindrops gradually soaked our bodies, eventually transforming into a torrential downpour.
Whoooosh—!
The wind was so fierce that even moving forward became difficult.
However, we were not people who had traveled the roads for merely a day or two, so we would not falter at such conditions.
As each person quickened their pace, we soon entered what could be called our destination—a village.
“Take the cargo carts and horses to the stables. Since there are many of us, secure rooms at various inns, and for those who still lack lodging, use private homes. Be generous with payment so as not to cause offense.”
“Yes!”
I shouted over the torrential rain.
I thought not everyone would hear me over the noise of the downpour, but those accustomed to such matters understood what needed to be done without being told.
They quickly moved the cargo carts to the Unryong Inn.
The spacious grounds would always be guarded by the inn’s bodyguards, so there was no possibility of anyone stealing from us.
Those who finished their tasks scattered with quick steps.

* * *

Once I entered the inn’s annex with my companions, I was finally able to dry my soaked body and change out of my damp clothes.
After finishing my preparations and heading downstairs to the dining hall to satisfy my hunger, I saw that most of my companions had already gathered.
The food was already laid out on the table.
Everyone seemed to be waiting eagerly for my arrival, as no one except Chaeseoha had touched the food.
“Are you performing a memorial service over the food? Eat.”
“Yes!”
Only then did people pick up their chopsticks.
Crunch, crunch—
Apparently quite famished, everyone was devouring the food ravenously. I was about to pick up my chopsticks with a slight smile when—
Someone stood before me with a peculiar expression.
It was the innkeeper who managed the establishment.
“Is something the matter?”
“Ah, it’s nothing serious. I merely wished to offer you a word of caution….”
“Caution?”
“Yes, lawless bandits have been appearing in the vicinity. Several have already died. Thus, I speak out of concern for you, young master.”
“Lawless bandits? How intriguing.”
“Alas, intriguing indeed. The problem is… there are far more than just one or two of them.”
I nodded while moving my chopsticks.
Enemies have a way of appearing wherever one goes.
Bandits and thieves—encountering such creatures was hardly an extraordinary occurrence.
Corpses would surface, unsettling rumors would circulate through the village, and everyone would tremble in fear, but such disturbances inevitably faded with time.
After all, the Martial Arts Alliance existed precisely to handle such matters.
Moreover, those who dreamed of becoming righteous warriors would draw their blades and step forward, so these rumors would soon settle into silence.
“The Martial Arts Alliance will intervene soon. There’s no need for concern.”
“Haha, quite right. The Dragon’s Claw faction is already conducting searches as we speak. Still, one can never be too cautious—I merely wanted to offer a word of warning in case something unforeseen occurs.”
“I appreciate your concern.”
“Hahaha—naturally, it’s my duty. But do you know something?”
“What is it?”
“I made inquiries about where this rabble originated, and it turns out they came from that massive underground excavation the former Emperor had constructed.”
….
“They’re escapees from that place. That cursed Iron-Blooded Emperor—even in death, he continues to plague us. Truly infuriating.”
The moment I brought my chopsticks to my mouth with food clasped between them.
A cascade of gazes descended upon me, and I froze mid-motion.
Shifting my eyes subtly to the side, I found Chaeseoha staring directly at me, while Jang Chuchyeong released a heavy sigh beside her.
They knew better than anyone what had transpired in that place.
I set down my chopsticks with a bitter smile.
“Are there many of them?”
“It’s the first time martial criminals have roamed together in such a large group. Even the Dragon’s Claw faction appears to be struggling considerably.”
Of course there would be many.
Countless individuals had escaped beyond the boundaries of Doyuanhyang.
Among them were formidable masters, and no shortage of death-row inmates convicted for their brutal murders.
All such people had gathered as one.
“They call themselves the Demon Flower Sect.”
The Demon Flower Sect.
Did they truly believe themselves to be flowers blooming from the hell that was Doyuanhyang?
Madmen.
A helpless laugh escaped me.

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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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