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 Nakhyang Jin Family — Chapter 164

Yeom Ji-hak stood before me, studying my every move, while Chu Won—the hunchbacked master—swept his gaze across the surroundings before bending down to retrieve the Jade Orb that lay scattered on the ground.
He turned it over in his hands, verifying that this was indeed what he sought, then broke into a smile, revealing yellowed teeth.
“At last, I’ve found it. Kekeke. To think it was truly here.”
“Your prediction was correct after all.”
“Kekeke, did I not say it would be here? This place was certain. That failure before was not a miscalculation on my part.”
Chu Won caressed the Jade Orb with an unsettling laugh, appearing as though he might lose himself to its allure—yet he was none other than one of the masters of the Twelve Angles.
The demonic power emanating from the Jade Orb held no sway over him.
Observing this scene unfold, I could confirm one crucial truth.
The Formation of Truth within the Forbidden Land—though I knew not who had constructed it—was undoubtedly woven around this very Jade Orb at its center.
Thus, the moment it was removed, the formation unraveled and shattered.
With this realization, I subtly pulled Jang Chuchyeong behind me.
In that instant.
Chu Won’s gaze turned toward me.
“Could this be him? The one they said was seen in Anhui… yet far too young for that?”
“Can’t you tell? A child of the Jin Family. The one who spied on me while wearing a mask.”
“Kekeke, how amusing indeed.”
Chu Won laughed and glanced at me dismissively.
Yet his gaze soon withdrew, carrying the unmistakable impression that I was beneath his notice.
It became clear that his objective had always been the Jade Orb alone.
But I could not allow him to leave with it.
I slowly drew my sword.
“Hunchback, why not set that down?”
“Hmm? Kekeke. Are you speaking to me in such a manner?”
“Here, hunchback—!”
Whoosh—!
In an instant, wind erupted around us.
Simultaneously, a flash of the near future seized my mind, and I spun, sweeping my blade backward.
Chu Won’s hand, which had been reaching to twist Jang Chuchyeong’s neck, intercepted my sword, then he extended his palm technique to seize my throat.
But I had no intention of falling prey to such a familiar tactic.
I kicked at the ground.
Boom—!
The earth split open, and debris shot upward without restraint.
As Chu Won hastily turned his head to evade the incoming stones and retreated, I seized the opening and unleashed my blade.
Whoosh—!
A fierce sword aura flashed brilliantly, casting light.
Faced with such a sharp technique, Chu Won appeared genuinely startled, staring at his own hand.
His sleeve hung torn and tattered.
“Ohoho— Indeed, if it’s this one, even the Yeongsal Corps would be no match, let alone the Blood Demon Squad. Kekeke.”
“Your strength has grown since Anhui. One moment of carelessness and you’ll suffer a grievous wound.”
“Kekekeke— Will you yield to me? If I could just straighten out that muddled mind of yours, you might actually become useful.”
The words dripped with contempt, as though addressing a mere plaything.
Yet I remained composed, observing the situation with detached clarity.
From the start, with two such adversaries present, escape alongside Jang Chuchyeong was impossible.
Which meant, one way or another, I had to carve a path through this.
Behind me, Jang Chuchyeong trembled beneath the overwhelming presence of the two Gak-ju, yet desperately fought to maintain his composure.
“…Young Master, these old men are…?”
“Enemies.”
Gulp—!
The sound of a dry swallow echoed sharply.
Not mere enemies.
Absolute masters commanding the Twelve Angles themselves.
Facing two such titans simultaneously was, for all intents and purposes, a death sentence.
“When I give the signal, run.”
“R-run? Young Master, what will become of you alone?”
“You’ll fetch the Elder. Only then might we have a fighting chance.”
Jang Chuchyeong’s eyes gleamed at those words.
Yes—this was Namman, where Gu Gunbaek and his people held sway.
If I could secure even a measure of their aid, perhaps twisting the necks of these two Gak-ju right here was not beyond possibility.
That very moment.
Yeom Ji-hak’s lips curled upward as he regarded me.
As though he had pierced through my every thought.
“Last time, fortune favored you. But this time will be different, I assure you.”
He raised his hand.
Whoosh—!
As if on cue, figures clad in crimson robes emerged from the shadows.
Undoubtedly the elite of Snake Horn.
Another contingent revealed themselves—warriors of Shin Horn.
The sheer power they radiated, incomparable to those who had accompanied So Makjan, made the dire nature of our predicament unmistakable.
“Before we discuss the Regent, perhaps you’ll enlighten me—who was that man from last time?”
“Last time? I haven’t the faintest notion what you mean.”
“Don’t play coy in this situation. Do I appear a fool to you?”
“Well… but you certainly seem to be suffering from senility.”
At my words, Yeom Ji-hak’s brow twitched.
A chilling exhale escaped his lips.
Whoosh—!
Something moved.
Like a serpent coiling in silence, fangs bared and ready to strike.
A blade descended with lethal precision, arriving without sound or warning.
The moment I narrowed my eyes at the sight.
Jang Chuchyeong beside me lunged forward and threw a punch.
Crack—!
The blow landed squarely between the eyes of the man targeting me, sending his body flying backward.
The man tumbled madly across the ground before coming to an ungraceful halt, then spat blood and furrowed his brow as he rose to his feet.
Indeed, for an elite of the Twelve Angles, his defensive technique was formidable.
Remarkable that he survived that strike.
“You bastards—! Come at me! Not a single finger touches the Young Master!”
Jang Chuchyeong, riding the momentum, clenched both fists and roared.
Though the situation was undeniably frightening, his unwavering resolve to protect me remained exactly as it had always been.
Yet it was not only Jang Chuchyeong who radiated such fierce intent.
Baek Gu, who had done nothing but obstruct my path until now, quietly approached and pressed against my side.
Grrrrr—!
A low growl saturated with killing intent reverberated outward.
Eyes brimming unmistakably with murderous resolve directed at them.
As the demon’s aura rose menacingly, they all turned to regard us with taut expressions.
All except two.
“Oho? A White Tiger? How long it has been since I last laid eyes upon one.”
“You’ve seen one before?”
“Hehehehe, indeed. Long ago in this Namman. Though it cost us quite a number of soldiers.”
Chu Won gazed at Baek Gu as though delighted, baring his yellowed teeth.
His eyes gleamed with naked greed.
A sensation entirely different from when he had beheld the Jade Orb.
“I regrettably let it slip away then, but this time I shall surely devour it.”
He licked his lips with a gulp, his eyes flashing with hunger.
Perhaps it was the aura he exuded—as though he would gnaw raw not only Baek Gu’s flesh but even its inner core and swallow it whole?
The White Tiger’s eyes blazed with unprecedented ferocity.
As though facing an irreconcilable blood enemy.
Yet this was no time to dwell on such matters.
If I failed to devise a solution immediately, we would plunge beyond catastrophe.
Then.
“Ahahaha! I knew you would appear, you wretches—!”
A booming laugh pierced my ears from somewhere.
As those present turned their gaze toward the sound, the massive figure of Gu Gunbaek stood surveying all within the space.
It was impossible to discern when he had arrived there.
Gu Gunbaek’s gaze confirmed Yeom Ji-hak with a smile, then turned to Chu Won beside him, his eyes narrowing with lethal intent.
In that instant, killing intent flooded the air.
…!
Ugh?!
All save Yeom Ji-hak and Chu Won recoiled, their bodies shrinking from that overwhelming aura.
Though I pride myself on having witnessed many facets of Gu Gunbaek, the man radiating killing intent as he stares at Chu Won is not the one I know.
The murderous aura feels even thicker than blood itself.
My body freezes merely from his gaze, and the wind—which should be warm—feels colder than the bitter northern gales of winter. This is no illusion.
I cannot move a single step, and no words escape my lips.
Goosebumps rise from my head to my toes, and even maintaining consciousness while standing becomes a struggle.
This is the Demon King.
The true form of one of the Ten Emperors that I have never witnessed.
Then it happens.
Gu Gunbaek smiles at Chu Won with a bloodthirsty grin.
“It has been a long time?”
“Kekeke, do you remember me?”
“Remember your face? Never. But that sickening stench of yours remains unchanged.”
Gu Gunbaek cracks his neck side to side, loosening his body.
The fact that he pays no mind to someone like Yeom Ji-hak, whom I saw in Anhui, tells me there is history between these two.
History deep enough that one would wish to tear the other to shreds.
Gu Gunbaek launches himself forward.
His massive frame soars like an eagle, landing before me.
“You bastard—!”
Then it happens.
Yeom Ji-hak, standing beside Chu Won, shouts and hurls himself forward, swinging his staff.
It curves through the air like a serpent, striking precisely at Gu Gunbaek’s neck with considerable force behind it.
Crash!
Yet Gu Gunbaek pays it no heed.
In an instant, he extends his hand and swats the staff away.
The staff, laden with weighty power, is simply batted aside, and though an opening appears, Gu Gunbaek does not strike at Yeom Ji-hak.
Yeom Ji-hak retreats from the brief opening, but when the follow-up strike he expected does not come, he appears to have withdrawn out of fear rather than strategy.
Yeom Ji-hak’s face flushes crimson.
Though he opens his mouth to speak, his rage boiling over, Gu Gunbaek’s voice comes first—his gaze fixed solely on Chu Won, as if Yeom Ji-hak is beneath his notice.
“Your methods remain unchanged from before. You have not grown at all. Do you merely age without learning?”
“Kekeke—are you still hung up on something that happened decades ago?”
“You fool if you think I would forget after what you did. And now you dare set foot in Namman again without fear. Do we appear so foolish to you?”
“Hahahaha—! You wretches—! Did Namman amuse you so?”
Boom!
Then it happens.
From somewhere, a man wielding a massive iron staff launches himself into view, landing firmly on the ground.
The moment his feet touch earth, violent tremors ripple outward, cracking the ground beneath.
Simultaneously, dozens of hawks soar into the sky, and from all directions, powerful experts of Namman emerge alongside fierce beasts.
Their eyes gleam with an ominous light, as if they are determined to settle this matter once and for all.
From this alone, I can confirm the deep and bitter rift between the Singyeo and the Southern Barbarians.
Perhaps Gu Gunbaek’s wandering through the Central Plains was for no other reason than to find Chu Won.
“….”
I surveyed my surroundings quietly, my mind working through the possibilities.
This was practically a gift—a situation I could exploit without lifting a finger.
While I couldn’t gauge the full extent of the Namman Yasugun’s power, they appeared to match the Singyeo warriors in capability, and with Gu Gunbaek’s presence, breaking Chu Won’s neck seemed entirely feasible.
Moreover, if Yeom Ji-hak simply engaged the Namman masters, I could resolve this entire situation with minimal effort on my part.
I let out a soft chuckle and turned my head.
At that very moment.
Boom—!
The first to act was none other than Gu Gunbaek.
His fist rocketed forward with tremendous force toward Chu Won, a power that could bore through solid stone with ease. Yet impossibly, Chu Won’s form before me scattered like mist and vanished.
“Hehehehe—now you lack the strength to capture me….”
The moment I heard his laughter and saw the dissipating mist, I moved first, identifying where he would reappear.
A technique I had witnessed countless times before.
What worked against Gu Gunbaek would not work against me.
As my sword extended with moonlit grace toward Chu Won, I caught him noticing me, his expression twisting into a bitter smirk of disbelief.
But my intention was never to cut him down.
The moment Chu Won moved to deflect my blade with a casual gesture, I twisted the sword left and right, creating a deceptive angle, then thrust it forward like a golden serpent toward his chest.
Slash—!
His garment tore, and something flew high into the air.
He sprang from the ground in an instant.
But then.
Screech—!
A blade-sharp aura pierced through with bone-chilling intensity.
Sensing that grasping the Jade Orb would bisect my body, I furrowed my brow and swung my sword again.
Clang—!
My blade struck something solid, and a powerful force sent me sliding backward, my body settling onto the ground.
Crash—!
I narrowed my eyes, staring ahead.
Yeom Ji-hak now held the Jade Orb, a smile playing across his face.
His intent to seize it was unmistakable.
“Have you forgotten that I stand here?”
At his mocking tone, I exhaled slowly and shook my head.
Of course.
Nothing in my life ever came easily.
I smiled bitterly and adjusted my grip on the sword.

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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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