The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 162

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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 162

When one hears the name Baek Gu, the first image that comes to mind is usually a snow-white puppy.
Since most people held such an impression, from the moment I first heard about it from Gu Gunbaek until now, I had assumed he was simply raising a dog.
But looking at what stood before me now, that was clearly not the case.
The wooden nameplate hanging from its neck was unmistakable.
The fact that it was written in atrocious handwriting only lent it more credibility.
“I was shortsighted. There’s no way the Demon King would keep a mere dog.”
“Huh? That tiger… surely not…”
“Yes, that’s Baek Gu.”
Grrrrrowl—!
The moment I spoke the name Baek Gu, the creature’s eyes blazed with savage intensity.
It was as if asking, why would someone like you dare speak my name? Or perhaps it was a threat—a warning that the name displeased it and should not be spoken again.
Either way, it was abundantly clear that the beast’s mood had soured considerably, and the gaze it fixed upon us had grown razor-sharp.
I subtly jabbed Jang Chuchyeong in the ribs.
“Do something.”
“What am I supposed to do!?”
“It’s your master’s pet, isn’t it? Then it should obey you too.”
At my words, Jang Chuchyeong swallowed hard.
After a moment, as if steeling himself, he slowly turned to face Baek Gu and shouted loudly.
“Baek Gu, sit—!”
Kuwaaaaang—!
Simultaneously, a fierce roar erupted from the savage tiger.
A thick, murderous aura radiated outward as if to say don’t speak nonsense, and the creature’s gaze became even more vicious.
Jang Chuchyeong’s body went rigid.
Seeing this, I urgently yanked him backward.
Crash—!
Long claw marks gouged the spot where Jang Chuchyeong had been standing.
Had I not pulled him away, he would have been shredded into four pieces.
“…Young Master, is that thing trying to kill me?”
“Yes, I can see that. This is… quite troublesome.”
I steadied my breathing and cautiously stepped forward.
Since the opponent was a demon, I wondered if there might be some way to negotiate, but it showed no hesitation in striking at Jang Chuchyeong, who reeked of Gu Gunbaek’s scent.
Like master, like beast—their temperaments were identical.
“I apologize, but we have no intention of dying here. No matter how much you were raised by that elder, if you continue to harbor hostility… I won’t hold back either.”
Grrrrrowl—!
I raised my aura and met the creature’s gaze directly.
Brilliant golden eyes blazed with savage fury.
As if to say, what could someone like you possibly do? At that contemptuous gaze, I furrowed my brow.
At the same moment, the creature’s feet moved.
In response, I swung my sword.
Crash—!
The demon’s overwhelming force collided with my blade, creating a tempest that swept through the surroundings with such ferocity that debris scattered everywhere.
Screech—screech-screech—!
My body began sliding backward.
The disparity between human and beast was starkly evident in that overwhelming force. No matter how hard I tried to hold my ground, it was nearly impossible.
Then I would use that force instead.
Whoosh—!
With movements as natural as flowing water, I redirected its force powerfully in the direction it was pushing.
Crash—!
Its claws dug into the earth, and its balance wavered slightly.
Seizing that opening, I swung my sword.
Clang—!
But its hide was far tougher and harder than the snake’s.
The keenly-honed sword energy couldn’t pierce the skin and bounced back.
Was that the reason?
Baek Gu looked at me with eyes as if a mosquito had bitten him, then casually flicked the arm that had deflected my blade, displaying utter ease.
“You little bastard!”
It was Jang Chuchyeong who charged forward then.
He threw his body forward with his fist clenched.
As if preparing to unleash that powerful strike he’d shown before, the force gathering in his fist contained a vortex of energy.
Boom—!
“Ugh?!”
However, the moment Baek Gu, who had been watching calmly, extended his leg in a sweeping motion, the body of the one who’d been struck flew through the air and tumbled absurdly across the ground.
Watching his pathetic form, Baek Gu seemed to sigh.
It was as if he were thinking: Is this really a disciple of Gu Gunbaek?
Then his gaze turned back toward me.
Eyes urging me to continue a bit longer.
With a threatening aura that promised death if I failed, his claws came flying.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-boom—!
Claws laden with fierce power raked the earth, leaving deep gouges as the creature launched itself into the air.
Then it came hurtling toward me with a vicious trajectory, delivering a perfect strike that left no room for evasion.
Crash—!
Its massive foot descended, shattering the ground, and the claws that followed tore through the surroundings with razor-sharp ferocity.
Screech—!
Trees, rocks, even the earth itself.
Everything touched by those claws was torn asunder.
The creature was serious.
It seemed to care little whether it killed me here, showing no interest whatsoever in what relationship I might have with its master.
I furrowed my brow and tightened my grip on the sword.
Kuuuaaang—!
With an ear-splitting screech, the beast lunged at me once more. Vicious claws tore through the air, and an oppressive weight like Mount Tai bore down upon my entire body, threatening to crush and shatter it.
I steadied my breathing and swung the blade.
Clanging—!
Just a single swing.
Yet the violent sound echoed relentlessly.
The successive strikes came so rapidly they were barely visible to the eye, but defending against Baek Gu’s claws felt woefully insufficient.
Claws sharper than any renowned blade grazed my body.
Shwack—!
My chest tore slightly as pain erupted, and the gust that followed sent me skidding backward. In that instant, the beast twisted its body and a massive tail came hurtling toward me.
Boom—!
“Ugh?!”
Was this what it felt like to be struck by an iron mace?
My entire body felt as though it were shattering.
I had used my protective technique to shield myself as much as possible, but even that proved meaningless.
Yet it was fine.
Nothing was broken or damaged.
Zing—!
I pushed off the ground while taking in the scene before me. Simultaneously, the beast’s jaws snapped at the spot where I had been, and I spun through the air, gripping the sword with all my strength.
Shwaaack—!
The blade swept forward unobstructed, piercing through the creature’s needle-like fur and cutting into its hide before bouncing back.
I could see a trickle of blood seeping out, but such a shallow wound would never truly harm the beast.
Zing—!
In an instant, I etched the flashing image into my mind and twisted my body urgently.
Whoosh—!
The tail that had flown in struck empty air.
The sharp sound, like that of a whip being cracked, filled me with dread that even my protective technique would be torn to shreds upon impact.
Suddenly, the air trembles.
I shifted my gaze and leaped upward with certainty.
Kuuaaang—!
Baek Gu’s claws pulverized the spot where I had stood, and the beast lifted its head to gaze at me suspended in the air.
It was as if it were mocking me, asking what I could possibly do while helpless in mid-air.
“Don’t get cocky, you beast.”
I looked at it and poured strength into my sword hand.
Then I focused and thought.

I will cut it down.

Whoooosh—!
In an instant, my inner force swelled and poured into the blade.
As the overwhelming energy surged forth, the sword seemed to cry out as if it could barely withstand the pressure.
Yet still, I was determined to cut down my opponent.
My dantian emptied itself of energy, channeling it into the sword, and gradually the primordial true essence that formed my body began to converge.
In that moment, the blade holding the sword energy transformed.
The azure sword energy grew sharper still, and the power infused within the blade was entirely different from before, overwhelming Baek Gu’s aura.
Kraaaaaaagh—!
Did he sense the threat?
Baek Gu’s cry pierced the air.
A roar laden with formidable power.
The spiritual essence within it scattered my concentration.
Kraaaagh—!
In that instant, he lunged forward.
No longer holding back, he closed the distance with unstoppable momentum.
As he struck, I felt a force that seemed capable of shattering everything, and my already ravaged interior writhed in chaos.
I bit my lip and steadied my mind.
My scattering inner force caused my meridians to swell painfully, and before my eyes, Baek Gu’s razor-sharp claws descended with the ferocity to tear my limbs asunder.
There was only one option.
Release everything before my energy dispersed completely.
Feeling a power beyond comprehension, I gathered my resolve once more.
In that moment, the Gon-cheol Wall came into view.
Two fists embedded distinctly within it caught my eye with particular clarity.
Recalling the overwhelming forms of those two beings carved into the wall, I became absorbed as if merging with them, gradually sinking deeper into that state.
Kraaaagh—!
Simultaneously, Baek Gu’s cry sounded again, but unlike before, his aura could no longer interfere with me.
I simply gazed upon him.
Gazing and remembering.
I felt the energy surging from my dantian extend throughout my entire body.
Just as those two figures thrust their fists toward the wall, the way I gripped and swung my sword seemed to grow ever more like them.
To the point where even the converging energy transformed.
Soon, the power infused in the blade erupted forth in a single breath.
Shhhhwing—!
Kraaaaaaagh—!
An ear-splitting shriek tore through the air.
I turned my head to confirm Baek Gu’s condition.
Blood streamed from a long gash across his head.
Unlike moments before when the blade could not even pierce his hide, I had succeeded in cutting him—truly cutting him.
Yet it was shallow.
The depth of the blade’s strike was insufficient.
I watched as the sword energy I had painstakingly manifested wavered like heat shimmer—so faint that it felt like nothing more than an overlay upon the blade itself.
Yet I had succeeded in manifesting sword energy.
Which meant.
“I’ve barely dipped my toes in?”
Though it was a fleeting enlightenment, the chasm between the pinnacle and the transcendent pinnacle was not something one could cross merely by taking a single step.
Regardless of whether I had dipped my toes or merely grazed the surface, I had to be satisfied with having cracked open the door to the Upper Hall even slightly.
And now.
“I can even flay your hide.”
I slung the sword across my shoulder and fixed my gaze upon Baek Gu.
His face bore fresh wounds, and I could see him repeatedly rubbing at them with his arm, as though they pained him greatly.
Soon, the light in Baek Gu’s eyes as he looked at me turned razor-sharp and cold. The aura he emanated was distinctly different from before—I could feel a genuine pressure bearing down upon me.
Had he finally begun to take this seriously?
I extended my sword slightly.
Whoooosh—!
In that same instant, an entirely different energy erupted forth.
The aura that now poured from me was utterly transformed from moments before—so palpable that I could feel myself standing before a shattered wall. It was not something only I sensed, for the creature approaching me flinched and halted his advance.
Watching his reaction, I smiled.
“What’s wrong? You enjoy pounding me one-sidedly, but you’re afraid when you’re the one getting hurt?”
Grrrrrowwwl—!
Baek Gu let out a low growl, his golden eyes blazing with light.
Though he bared his fangs in threat, the fact that he did not rashly approach told me that my first strike had struck home far more effectively than I’d anticipated.
I took a step forward.
At the same moment, the creature retreated a step backward.
“What would your master say if he saw you like this?”
As I advanced another step, Baek Gu lowered his stance even further.
Though it seemed as though he might pounce at any moment, he lacked the courage to commit, and attempted to retreat once more.
But only briefly—his pride wounded by the retreat, he flinched and stopped, then let out a threatening howl.
Kwaaaaaaang—!
The fierce cry echoed and reverberated outward.
Mountain birds startled and fluttered into the air, and even the insects that had been chirping fell silent—the effect of his roar was formidable indeed.
But I did not hesitate.
I took another step forward.
“Bow.”
The sword energy rising like heat shimmer, combined with the oppressive aura that now consumed the space around us, bore down upon the creature.
His golden eyes wavered.
Where had that confident gleam gone—the one he had displayed while slaughtering the Sect Members? His spirit seemed to wane with each passing moment.
I advanced once more, standing directly before his snout.
Then, extending my hand lightly, I spoke.
“This is your final warning. Bow.”
I narrowed my eyes to slits and unleashed my energy with even greater force.
As the power that proved I stood before a clearly different, crumbled wall from moments before laid bare, Baek Gu’s eyes trembled and his massive frame slowly sank to the ground.
As he prostrated himself and his body quivered, I finally let out a soft chuckle, reaching out to stroke the bridge of his nose.
“Well done, Baek Gu.”
Huff—
The moment I caressed the creature whose spirit had been broken, a long breath of relief poured forth like wind from his nostrils.

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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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