The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 156

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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 156

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In a forest some distance from the Namman Yasugun.
Two old men sat there.
Around them lay massive beasts, torn to shreds and scattered about—easily more than ten of them by count.
Chu Won the Hunchbacked and Yeom Ji-hak.
They reclined against corpses as backrests, tearing into beast carcasses without hesitation, consuming them raw and uncooked.
With each bite, blood cascaded down their chins.
Their mouths were soon drenched in crimson, yet their expressions remained utterly indifferent to the gore.
“Raw flesh truly is the finest.”
“Hehehehe—you’re right. Cooked meat has its merits, but raw flesh, what we’ve eaten since childhood, is convenient and nourishing.”
The way they didn’t merely tear at meat but swallowed organs whole, as if rolling them in their mouths, inspired revulsion and dread in any observer.
As Yeom Ji-hak chewed through a beast’s leg, he suddenly turned his gaze toward Chu Won.
“So? Is it truly there, as you claim?”
“Hehehehe, why such impatience? Wait a moment. I’ve sent the children in, so we’ll have our answer soon enough.”
“You speak of the Forbidden Zone?”
“Indeed.”
Chu Won, his eyes half-lidded, recalled the Forbidden Zone of Namman.
In the past, when they moved to recover the Jade Orb, they had turned all of Namman upside down and searched meticulously, yet there remained one place they could not examine.
Or more precisely, another team had attempted to enter that place, but not a single member returned alive.
That place was the Forbidden Zone of Namman.
The Jade Orb, which they could not obtain anywhere else.
If it was indeed certain to be in Namman, then this Forbidden Zone was the most likely location.
“Why wait until now to investigate, when you could have done so before?”
“The formation is far too intricate. It took time to cultivate those capable of piercing through it.”
“To such a degree?”
Chu Won nodded at Yeom Ji-hak’s expression of surprise.
The Singyeo possessed many versed in formations.
If they resolved to send them, they could even shatter the Zhuge Family Formation in an instant—such were their capabilities.
But the formation laid here was different.
Even such masters had not returned alive.
Consequently, preparation had taken considerable time.
“If it’s not there, you’ll need to prepare yourself. I am restraining myself for your sake, after all.”
“Kukukuku, I know. Wait. After all, recovering the divine artifact is our foremost priority—surely you understand that.”
Not long after they had entered Namman.
By fortune, they learned that the Demon King had returned.
Yeom Ji-hak suppressed the urge to rush toward him immediately.
I needed to confirm whether this opponent was truly the same one I had encountered in Anhui.
Every time the lingering pain from my wounds throbbed, it felt as though the shame of that past humiliation was being dragged into the light, and I sensed that without finding this man and settling the score, I would suffer eternally.
But I endured it.
As Chu Won, the Sect Leader of Sinkak, had said, recovering the divine artifact and verifying its existence took absolute priority over personal vengeance.
“Kekeke— show restraint. Fortune favors those who wait, does it not?”
“If nothing emerges from this, I’ll snap your neck first.”
“My, what a terrifying prospect. Kekekeke.”
Yeom Ji-hak’s eyebrows twitched as he watched Chu Won smile.
Despite releasing a thick, suffocating killing intent, the other man seemed utterly devoid of fear.
A mere former member of the Shadow Assassins who had become a sect leader.
It displeased him greatly, but he soon snorted and composed himself.
After all, he understood priorities better than anyone.
Yeom Ji-hak turned his attention away and continued gnawing and swallowing the beast’s bone.
Crunch—!
The thick bone, seemingly impossible to break with human strength alone, crumbled in his mouth and slid down his throat.
As if he were venting his rage.

* * *

I furrowed my brow and surveyed my surroundings.
Whoosh— swish swish—!
Trees rustled in various places, and I heard the sound of something moving.
The creatures moved with remarkable agility and speed, and their senses were so distorted that pinpointing their exact location proved difficult.
I tightened my grip on the sword’s hilt and steadied my breathing.
Soon, I gazed upon what lay scattered across the ground.
Three monkeys.
They were monkeys of a size incomparable to those I had seen outside.
The claws on their hands were extraordinarily sharp, and their teeth appeared longer and more formidable.
I suspected they had evolved to be far stronger in order to survive within this bizarre formation.
I had felt it the moment my blade cut their skin.
As if to prevent sharp objects from piercing their hides, the monkeys’ skin was extremely thick, tough, and supple.
So much so that even sword energy could not easily cut through it.
Then, something rushed forward, piercing through my heightened senses.
The sensation I felt pointed unmistakably to one location, yet from experience, I knew that location could not be trusted, so I retreated swiftly while maintaining vigilance in all directions.
Simultaneously, I saw it.
The Black Shadow charging toward me.
It too emerged from an entirely different location than where I had sensed it.
Screech—! Clang!
As razor-sharp claws aimed for my chest, I quickly drew my sword and deflected the attack.
Confirming that the creature was driven back, I stepped forward, and in the very instant I positioned myself perfectly and began to swing my blade—
The monkey’s body rebounded from the force of impact, and I tumbled through the air, rolling backward before landing.
Faced with this absurd spectacle, I let out a hollow laugh and drew my blade.
Shing—!
The keen edge of my sword carved across its body.
I felt the leather tear beneath the blade, but its toughness prevented the cut from penetrating deeply.
Screeeech—!
The enraged monkey retreated, shrieking as if in protest.
It was as though it were saying, “That hurts!”
Observing this, I furrowed my brow even deeper.
I closed the distance in a single breath and unleashed my blade before the startled monkey could flee.
Shing—!
The blade pierced through the tough hide and cleaved its body in two.
The moment the severed upper half flew through the air with a sound like a watermelon splitting, embedding itself into a tree, a dozen monkeys launched their assault in perfect synchronization.
Screech—! Shing!
Terrifying, swift, and agile.
Their elongated claws proved far more threatening than steel, and their nimble movements were so dizzying that fighting humans seemed almost preferable.
There was another piece of bad news.
These creatures naturally fought as a coordinated pack.
The dozen monkeys moved as though they understood how to bring down prey larger and stronger than themselves, maximizing their advantages while eliminating their weaknesses.
This was their method of survival.
Shing—!
I cut down one more, then two more.
Blocking the relentless fangs and claws that flew toward me, I retreated, yet continued to press my advantage despite the distorted sensations of being slashed and torn.
But this was not a battle I could afford to prolong.
I quickly surveyed my surroundings, searching for one in particular.
The largest and most ferocious of the monkeys before me.
The one hanging from a tree by its tail, squeaking commands as if directing the others.
At a glance, it was clearly the leader.
Since ancient times, creatures that live in packs become nothing once their head is severed.
Especially if they are beasts.
Like moonlight gradually emerging from clouds that had swallowed it, a brilliant azure radiance shot forth toward the creature.
Startled, it desperately shifted its body to escape the position.
In that instant, I launched myself forward as if I had been waiting for this moment.
I closed the distance in a single breath.
Ignoring the squeaking creatures that blocked my path, I pressed forward and unleashed my blade with all my strength.
Shing—!
The blade cut through the thick, tough hide, pierced the flesh, and I drove deeper still, tearing through the muscle, grinding against bone, and finally ripping through the organs before withdrawing.
Screeeech—!
Yet the creature, still clinging to life, shrieked and attempted to flee despite its eviscerated state—a remarkable feat in itself.
I refused to let it escape, reaching out to seize its tail.
I yanked it forward and thrust my sword once more.
Thwuuuk—!
The blade pierced straight through its heart.
The struggling creature convulsed and went limp.
Confirming it had lost all vitality, I withdrew my sword, and the massive Alpha Monkey’s body collapsed in a heap, spraying blood everywhere.
Was that the reason?
The monkeys surrounding us seemed startled.
They halted their charge and trembled with fear, their eyes darting between one another.
Apparently deciding this was hopeless, they began scattering in all directions.
In an instant, the monkeys vanished from sight.
Not merely their forms.
Even their presence was fading into the distance.
It seemed they had only now felt true fear upon witnessing their leader’s death.
I finally exhaled a breath of relief.
“I need to handle this quickly.”
The strength of a single monkey defied all reason.
Add to that my distorted senses—the worst possible situation.
But the greater problem lay in the fact that my blade barely bit into them.
No matter how sharp my sword energy, I couldn’t easily cut through their thick, resilient hides.
The issue was that this wasn’t limited to mere monkeys.
The large beast I’d encountered before them was the same.
I couldn’t predict what creatures lay ahead, but encounters with even more powerful beasts would likely lead to fights for my very life.
I gazed intently at my sword.
Even to the eye, it radiated a keen edge.
Yet it was insufficient.
To overcome this situation, I would need….
“Sword Force….”
The supreme realm capable of effortlessly cleaving even diamond stone.
A level from which one could even aspire to the throne itself.

The Pinnacle of Transcendence.

That meant I needed to open the Upper Hall, but that was no simple task—merely retracing a path I’d walked once before.
If it were that easy, I would have ascended long ago.
But what if, even without reaching that realm, I could at least dip my feet into it?
I furrowed my brow and steadied my breathing.
I had to keep that possibility in mind and devise every method available to me.
Then.
Crackle—!
Footsteps echoed from somewhere.
They clearly came from the thicket, so I gripped my sword and remained vigilant on all sides.
In a place like this, danger could emerge from anywhere.
At that moment.
A figure burst from the direction of the sound.
“Raaaagh—!”
With a sudden roar came none other than Jang Chuchyeong, his clenched fist driving straight toward me with terrible intent.
I met his vacant gaze and blocked the strike without hesitation.
Crash—!
The moment his fist collided with my blade, my body was driven backward.
I knew it well—his strength was extraordinary.
Gu Gunbaek’s training had proven devastatingly effective; his technique was now refined and overwhelming, incomparably superior to before.
“Die!”
Yet something about his state was profoundly wrong.
It was as though he didn’t recognize me at all.
His pupils lacked focus entirely, suggesting he’d fallen victim to some illusion technique or perhaps brainwashing.
His fists came down in torrents, unleashing waves of power.
This was unmistakably Gu Gunbaek’s true martial essence.
Countless fists descended like a deluge, intent on crushing me beneath their weight.
Boom, boom, boom—!
I deflected them with ease.
None landed; not even my sleeve was grazed.
I simply watched as the strikes tore through empty air, embedding themselves in the earth with overwhelming destructive force, exploding with deafening thunder.
“Die! Die! Die!”
Yet Jang Chuchyeong did not relent, pressing his assault.
As I observed him calmly, I noticed something.
A small insect clinging to the back of his neck.
It remained attached, writhing ceaselessly, and with each movement, I saw Jang Chuchyeong’s body respond in kind.
“A parasitic worm that controls humans…”
I let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
A creature that puppeteers people—how grotesque.
I wondered if this place truly was hell itself.
I narrowed my eyes and gripped my sword lightly.
My body flew forward like a feather caught in the wind.
It felt as though Namgung Yeon himself were executing his signature lightness technique.
I pushed off the ground, soared over Jang Chuchyeong, spun in mid-air, and drove my sword toward the creature’s nape.
Skreeeech!
As the parasitic creature split in two and fell away, Jang Chuchyeong collapsed, his strength finally exhausted.
I watched him fall in silence, then let out a hollow laugh.
“Damned old fool.”

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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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