The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 164
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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 225
“…Is that really Jang Howei?”
At Chaeseoha’s question, I offered a bitter smile.
It was like witnessing a scene from the past—when I had faced the Sect Members.
The beast’s instinct had been unleashed, driven by nothing but the conviction that enemies must be destroyed.
The appearance of one drenched in blood was utterly chilling.
Even to me, who was watching.
If one were to see that cold smile directed at enemies beneath the pale moonlight, I would question whether this was truly the Jang Chuchyeong I knew.
Was that why she had become frightened?
Chaeseoha was trembling.
I carefully raised my hand and placed it on her back, gently releasing my energy to calm her mind.
Just from watching Chaeseoha’s expression, which had been glancing at me, gradually settle and ease, it seemed her heart had found some peace.
I offered a slight smile and took a step forward.
Did the beast’s senses react to that sound?
With a sharp turn of his head, the beast’s cold gaze and momentum poured toward me, and he seized Chaeseoha’s ankle with a strong grip just as she was about to step forward.
But soon the momentum subsided.
The beast’s eyes widened as he recognized me.
“Young Master?!”
“Yes, it’s me. I see you’ve caused quite the commotion in my absence.”
“Young Master—!”
Jang Chuchyeong cried out loudly and rushed toward me like a young puppy that had been desperately waiting for its master all this time.
Was it merely my imagination that his tail seemed to be wagging, though invisible?
His previous demeanor had vanished entirely, making me wonder if this was truly the same person.
That was why Chaeseoha wore an expression of utter bewilderment.
“Ehehehe—! Do you know how worried I was? Are you alright? You must be in so much pain?”
“…Wait! Don’t embrace the Young Master! He’s a patient!”
Chaeseoha suddenly stepped in between us, attempting to push him back forcefully with her body.
But her strength proved insufficient to move him, and she found herself increasingly compressed between us.
I sighed and gently pushed him away.
Only then did Chaeseoha break free and gasp for breath.
“Phew! I thought I was going to die! Jang Howei, please don’t come any closer.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again….”
Jang Chuchyeong retreated like a dejected puppy, his shoulders drooping, and Chaeseoha, who had been shouting so forcefully, finally released a relieved sigh and placed her hand on her waist.
She seemed to be warily watching Jang Chuchyeong, but then she noticed a damp sensation and looked down at her own clothes.
Blood was soaking through her garment abundantly.
“Are you…alright?”
“Me? I’m perfectly fine!”
“But you’re bleeding so much—how can you say you’re fine?”
Chaeseoha gazed at the blood staining her own body and at Jang Chuchyeong’s appearance, her expression one of utter bewilderment. Anyone else would have lost consciousness in such a state.
But this was something she had come to expect.
When his excitement peaked, he felt no pain.
However, the moment his tension eased and his mind relaxed—
“Aaaagh?! It hurts—!”
All the pain he had suppressed came crashing down at once. Jang Chuchyeong cried out, clutching at his wounds, tears glistening in his eyes—it was clearly excruciating.
Chaeseoha rushed toward him immediately.
Knowing there was little she could do in such circumstances, she quickly staunched the bleeding, applied medicinal salve for wounds, and wrapped bandages around them.
Fortunately, the treatment proved effective, and the pained expression on his face gradually began to ease.
“Hehe, our physician really is remarkable, isn’t she?”
“I would hope that neither the Young Master nor Jang Howei would create situations where I need to be summoned.”
“That’s impossible.”
At my blunt refusal, Chaeseoha glanced at me with a frown.
Sigh—
But realizing there was nothing to be done about it, she soon exhaled and shook her head.
I smiled slightly at that and smoothed over the situation.
“First, let’s find a place to rest.”
“Are we going back to the cave?”
“No, there’s a better place. Their hideout.”
I wasn’t in good condition either, but Chu Hyeongi’s state was equally dire.
He needed to lie down and receive treatment immediately, so Geuk Tae-cheon’s mountain fortress would be far better than the cave floor.
There would be beds where we could rest our bodies, and there should be plenty of medicinal herbs and food as well.
Therefore, we had to move forward despite the strain.
I glanced at the members of the Hyang-un Sega who were watching us.
Flinch—!
Bewildered by Hyang Do-un’s sudden death and unsure what to do, they had missed their chance to escape.
I observed them and spoke.
“I’ll spare your lives if you guide us.”
“Ugh?!”
“Otherwise, you’ll die here.”
At my warning, everyone fell silent.
They had witnessed Jang Chuchyeong’s prowess with their own eyes, and I stood beside him.
No matter how many of them there were, attacking after seeing this would be nothing but reckless.
Fortunately, they possessed some sense.
Those who nodded cautiously began moving forward.
Just as I was about to take a step—
Jang Chuchyeong beside me hurried forward in front of me, turned his back, and crouched down.
“Young Master! Please, let me carry you.”
“Are you saying that while looking like that?”
“Ah, I’m fine. It’s just a bit sore, that’s all.”
“You don’t remember complaining about the pain?”
“Hehe, I’m fine, really. Come on, let me carry you.”
The man chuckled and laughed, tearing away his blood-soaked shirt as he crouched down. Countless wounds suddenly became visible, but he urged me forward as if they were nothing.
“…Does it not hurt?”
“Oh, I’m perfectly fine. The physician’s skill is so good that I’m completely healed now. Besides, if we go at the Young Master’s pace, it’ll take all day.”
His words were undeniable.
Unlike Jang Chuchyeong, who was moving with relative ease, I could barely take a single step.
I didn’t know exactly where the mountain stronghold was, but considering the considerable distance, I couldn’t even imagine how long it would take.
In the end, I had to accept his offer.
As I climbed onto his back, a small groan escaped him.
But he quickly closed his mouth and wrapped his arms around Chaeseoha’s waist as she stood there motionless.
“Eek?!”
“Let’s go! And I’m warning you all—don’t get any funny ideas.”
“…Yes.”
The members of Hyang-un Sega nodded heavily.
Then they moved forward ahead of us.
Unfolding their lightness technique, they surged forward in an instant, moving as if in an all-out sprint. It seemed they were considering fleeing if the distance widened.
But Jang Chuchyeong’s lightness technique exceeded their expectations.
Despite his injured body, he tore through the mountain like a beast, the distance closing in an instant as his sharp gaze fixed upon them.
Flinch!
Those who had considered fleeing seemed to realize their plan was meaningless.
Then they set their direction and headed toward the mountain stronghold.
Moving without rest for over two hours, those ahead grew exhausted and fell behind, while Jang Chuchyeong asked for directions and pushed harder against the ground.
Another half hour passed after we arrived at Geuk Tae-cheon’s mountain stronghold.
By then, enough time had passed for the sun to rise, and the wide-open gates of the stronghold came into view.
We entered without hesitation, but felt no presence. I wondered if everyone here had scattered to search for us, or if something had happened to them.
Only then did I dismount from Jang Chuchyeong’s back.
“Phew, that was rough.”
Finally free, Jang Chuchyeong caught his breath.
Though he didn’t show it, it must have been quite difficult.
I found myself laughing and was about to say something when Jang Chuchyeong’s body suddenly swayed and collapsed.
Thud!
“Jang Howei!”
Chaeseoha rushed over to check his condition.
She felt his pulse for a moment and lifted his closed eyes to examine them, then let out a sigh of relief.
“He’s just unconscious. It seems he pushed himself quite hard. But what do we do? …There’s no one to carry him….”
Chaeseoha was right.
The members of Hyang-un Sega who had fallen behind were nowhere to be seen, and there was no presence of anyone inside the stronghold.
There was no one to ask for help, and I couldn’t just leave him on the ground.
I slowly approached the collapsed Jang Chuchyeong and reached out to embrace him. My back throbbed and my bones seemed to cry out in pain, but what did that matter now?
“Let’s find a place to rest.”
“These two… how are they so alike? Were they a married couple in a past life?”
“They were probably in the same master-servant relationship in their past life too.”
“Ha….”
Chaeseoha shook her head at my words.
Without needing to examine each place individually, I moved toward the largest and most ornately constructed building. It was certainly Geuk Tae-cheon’s quarters.
Sure enough, just from seeing the considerably large bed and the room decorated with all manner of hunting trophies, it was unmistakably where Geuk Tae-cheon had stayed.
I laid Jang Chuchyeong on the bed.
“Isn’t this where the Young Master uses?”
“It makes little difference whether I use it or he does. I’m fine for now, so just look after him for a bit.”
“Please don’t overexert yourself. In truth, anyone can see that the Young Master’s condition is worse than yours.”
I nodded and smiled at Chaeseoha’s words.
Then I entrusted Jang Chuchyeong to her care and turned to leave.
Though no presence could be felt, I couldn’t definitively say there was no threat.
“Don’t push yourself. The Young Master’s condition is the most critical right now.”
“Don’t worry.”
I nodded and stepped out of the tent.
I looked around the surroundings outside.
It certainly felt narrower than where Gu Gunbaek had been before, but I could see traces of their effort to preserve the spirit of the Green Forest King in their own way.
As I carefully moved about without overexertion, examining each area, a strange sight caught my eye.
Members of the Hyang-un Sega were hurriedly entering a tent—I wasn’t sure when they had returned.
Was it Hyang Do-un’s tent?
Furrowing my brow, I moved faster toward that place, and the people, startled by my sudden appearance, gripped their swords.
“If you wish to live, don’t draw.”
“Kuh?!”
Was my single statement effective?
The men flinched and stepped back a pace.
Glancing at them, I could see some kind of paper in one man’s hand, so I casually approached and snatched it away.
Flinch—!
In that moment, I felt a faint killing intent, but they lacked the courage to actually draw and swing their swords, so they merely gritted their teeth and watched me.
What could this possibly be?
I held the paper in my hand and sat leisurely on the bed.
It wasn’t the kind of behavior one would expect from someone in poor condition, facing those who sought to kill them, but rather this composure would become a threat to them.
I smiled as naturally as possible and examined the contents.
“A bank certificate….”
What they had tried to take was a certificate proving money had been deposited at the bank.
A fifty-tael gold note stamped with the seal of the Fengyun Bank.
It was a fortune large enough to live comfortably for a lifetime, no matter where one went.
The saying goes that even if the wealthy are ruined, their fortune lasts three generations—this was exactly that.
“You came to retrieve this?”
“…That is.”
“The last remaining assets of the Hyang-un Sega….”
“Ugh?!”
“….”
The men’s eyes wavered greatly.
Even if they seized it, there was nothing they could say.
Moreover, if they lost that money, the Hyang-un Sega would truly be finished. Confirming that such desperation was evident in their eyes, I smiled and sent the deed flying.
The deed fluttered like a butterfly through the air before gently landing in one man’s hands.
“…!”
“Take it. And I’d prefer never to see your faces again. That name too.”
“…Is it truly that you would simply let us go? When we sought to kill you?”
“The Hyang-un Sega is ruined, and Hyang Do-un who targeted me is dead. There seems no need for further bloodshed. What do you think?”
I casually fingered the sword guard at my side.
A powerful warning that I could draw at any moment.
Sensing such resolve, the man holding the deed stared at me silently for a long while before breaking the silence and bowing his head.
“I am grateful for your grace, Young Master. And… I shall never forget your intentions.”
I nodded instead of answering.
Then the men bowed respectfully and hurriedly began to leave the place, seemingly fearful that I might change my mind.
Watching them go, I offered a bitter smile.
“When I lack even the strength to draw and wield a sword.”
Indeed, one must never lose composure, even when one has nothing.
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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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