The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 165

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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 226

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It took another seven days before my body recovered sufficiently to walk about with ease.
Though I yearned to descend the mountain and rejoin the merchant caravan despite my injuries, Chaeseoha’s persistent objections transformed my days into a routine of acupuncture, herbal remedies, and cultivation exercises.
Thanks to her care, my body healed rapidly.
The pain that accompanied every movement gradually subsided, and as my condition steadily improved, the time spent in treatment diminished accordingly.
This afforded me the opportunity to reorganize my martial knowledge.
I extracted every technique from my mind and began reconstructing them anew.
I recalled the faces of all those I had encountered and faced.
Remembering the fierce exchanges of blades, I endlessly repeated the process of identifying and filling the gaps in my techniques.
There was no point in failing to advance further.
The events at Mount Taeok remained vivid before my eyes.
Yet there was something far more important.

Geomcheon Muheo.

His form, becoming one with nature before my very eyes, was impossible to forget—so vivid it remained etched in my mind.
I began to understand why the figures of the Ten Sovereigns I had met thus far associated me with Muheo; our martial techniques shared much in common.
That was why I desired it.
Not to fully accept Muheo’s way, but to build upon it and create something uniquely my own.
Though sufficient progress should have been made in such time, during the long journey from Namman to here, I could not comprehend what Muheo had demonstrated at all.
I merely reaffirmed once more that humans could never become perfect nature.
I had to accept that my current level could not grasp such understanding.
I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes.
The dim interior of the tent came into view.
Rising from my seat and stepping outside, the expansive landscape of the mountain stronghold appeared before me, yet it was so quiet that one could hardly believe it was a bandit’s lair.
Not a single bandit remained.
Even the survivors had scattered and not returned, so this place would soon cease to function as a stronghold at all.
Fortunately, this allowed for peaceful rest.
With so many people having stayed here, there was an abundance of alcohol and provisions, and necessary supplies were scattered throughout, so bringing my injured body to this place had been the right decision.
“Ow, ow, ow—!”
“Be quiet!”
At that moment, I turned my attention toward a sound coming from somewhere.
Jang Chuchyeong, sitting on a bed undergoing treatment, writhed and cried out as the pain was considerable.
It was a familiar sight I had witnessed for the past seven days.
He attempted to flee from Chaeseoha’s rough touch, but each time he did, her sharp voice rang out more harshly and her hands grew rougher, causing him to lose his spirit and droop his tail.
Watching him make a pitiful expression, I found myself laughing without thinking.
“Shouldn’t you be getting used to it by now?”
“Young Master, you don’t like medicinal broths either… And strangely, the physician’s touch feels different when treating you compared to treating me.”
“That can’t be. It’s because you keep struggling.”
“But it hurts….”
At that sight, Chaeseoha and I couldn’t help but let out hollow laughs as we watched him.
Muscles that proved Gu Gunbaek’s training had not been in vain.
The moment I touched them, the firmness felt like solid rock, yet this man with such overwhelming musculature couldn’t even endure this much—it was absurd.
Especially when he was the one who came running to carry me on his back despite being wounded by a blade.
I sighed and spoke.
“Since we’re planning to depart soon, get as much treatment as you can. We can’t keep the caravan stopped indefinitely, can we?”
The caravan that escaped safely would be resting in a large village, waiting for me.
More than a week had passed, so I needed to hurry and rejoin them. I didn’t want the caravan delayed any further, and since they would be worried about me, I needed to let them know I was safe.
Was it because of those words?
Jang Chuchyeong frowned with clear displeasure, yet reluctantly squeezed his eyes shut and began accepting Chaeseoha’s touch.
Whether he felt pain from her rough hands, he furrowed his brow. But soon he endured it and looked at me, then carefully asked a question.
“Ugh… Now that I think about it, I completely forgot. The caravan… will it be alright?”
“It was fine while I was there. Besides, Yeon is there and Soocheonchu is there too—what’s there to worry about?”
“So-ha is right. With those two there, they’ll be able to handle anything that comes up quickly.”
I nodded in agreement with Chaeseoha’s words.
While I trusted Namgung Yeon’s abilities, the true key to this Shanxi region was none other than Soocheonchu—Cheon Yul.
Unless something unusual like Hyang Do-un or the bandits occurred, there was no way anything could go wrong.
“Besides, Namgung Baek is there too.”
“That man… can we trust him?”
“Of course. Are you saying Father’s judgment was wrong?”
“No, it’s not that… it’s just that he doesn’t seem trustworthy somehow.”
Jang Chuchyeong furrowed his brow.
Certainly, if I recalled the past Namgung Baek as he did, it wouldn’t be strange to say he seemed untrustworthy.
Moreover, in terms of martial ability, he couldn’t be counted as a full force.
Though he trained in the same martial arts as Namgung Yeon, his swordsmanship was so inferior it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it completely different.
However, the renowned escort Yang Jachun was teaching him with great care.
Not just martial arts, but everything necessary for the caravan or escort work had been drilled into his mind, so he would know what took priority in this situation and what needed to be done.
This was also why I was confident he had led the caravan into the village without any casualties.
Still, even with guards present, he would feel obligated to protect the caravan’s goods within the heterodox sect’s territory, so I thought he might be staying awake through the night.
While I was thinking such thoughts and smiling for a moment.
Pat— pat—
Chaeseoha wrapped bandages around Jang Chuchyeong’s body and tapped them lightly.
“There, all done. You’ve recovered enough that you should be fine heading down the mountain soon. Of course, as long as you don’t overexert yourself.”
“Good. Then let’s depart immediately.”
As I spoke with clear intent to move quickly, Chaeseoha, who had just finished treatment, looked at me and gave a bitter smile.
Then both of them nodded and stood up from their seats, quickly leaving the mountain hideout and departing.
As I quickened my pace along the path, the mountain fortress vanished from sight in an instant, and before long, familiar terrain came into view.
Was that the reason?
Chaeseoha, seeming somewhat exhausted, wiped away her sweat and surveyed her surroundings.
Following her gaze, I could see the place that had become a wasteland from a massive explosion.
Undoubtedly the very spot where Hyang Do-un had aimed at me with the Cheon Lei.
We had returned to that place.
As I unconsciously recalled those events and furrowed my brow, Chaeseoha, who had been gazing at that spot while walking for some time, opened her mouth with a puzzled expression.
“Now that I think about it, isn’t something a bit strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, bandits are one thing, but this person called Hyang Do-un. Where did the Cheon Lei come from? And in the first place, can something with that much destructive power really be obtained simply by having money?”
Though I had never considered it until now, perhaps because the sight had entered my eyes, Chaeseoha regarded me with a gaze that suggested she found it utterly incomprehensible.
A laugh escaped me.
“It cannot be obtained. With that level of destructive power, most would be held by the military, but given the current circumstances, I doubt there exists anyone foolish enough to hand it over for a bribe.”
The Cheon Lei is managed by the state.
Thus, from long ago, most who sought to obtain one would typically do so by bribing high officials, but the situation is somewhat different now.
A new Emperor has ascended to the throne, and his influence is formidable.
Now is hardly a time to fall out of favor, so even corrupt officials are holding their breath in this political climate.
Therefore, for Hyang Do-un, whose every connection with the Hyang-un Sega has been severed, it is an object he cannot obtain no matter what methods he employs.
Moreover, that destructive power.
Someone must have certainly had a hand in this.
“Then where on earth did it come from?”
“Who knows… Perhaps someone who possessed one sold it?”
Chaeseoha suddenly fixed her gaze upon me, her brow furrowing.
At that look—as if asking whether I knew who—I unconsciously curved my lips into a smile and turned my gaze away.

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Late into the night.
Men began pouring into the darkened hall one after another. Those bearing a sinister aura saw their aggressive demeanor fade the moment they crossed the threshold, and soon they prostrated themselves before someone, bowing their heads.
A middle-aged man observed their forms.
Eyes that gleamed like a tiger’s in the darkness.
The gaze fixed upon his subordinates was extraordinarily sharp.
“You’ve arrived?”
The moment those words left his lips, every person in the hall trembled.
As if they had heard a tiger’s roar directly before them.
The beast’s keen gaze, piercing eyes, and the overwhelming presence that emanated seemed to break the spirit of everyone present in an instant.
The man gazed at them and drew a smile across his lips.
“What has transpired?”
“Hyang Do-un succeeded in cornering him as planned.”
“You detonated the Heavenly Thunder Mine?”
“Indeed.”
Though the man nodded with satisfaction at his subordinate’s firm response, his eyes betrayed bewilderment, as if he could not believe it.
“Yet, looking at your expressions, I understand. He lives, doesn’t he?”
“…Yes.”
“Why does he live? Could it be that what Myojeok sent was defective?”
“No. It possessed undeniable power. However, it appears he escaped from the center of the explosion as if he had anticipated it.”
“As if he anticipated it… he escaped? Regardless, how could he have remained unscathed? Even if he escaped, he should not have been able to survive intact… Why does he live? Is his skill truly so superior that he could kill despite taking such a blow?”
The middle-aged man’s gaze grew even sharper, as if struggling to comprehend. If someone could survive Myojeok’s Heavenly Thunder Mine and move about unharmed, they would have already transcended human limits.
That was precisely the question.
Whether Heobeob Auk truly was the caliber of person worthy of being verified.
In that process, he had sold Myojeok’s Heavenly Thunder Mine to Hyang Do-un, granting him the power for vengeance.
Whether Jin Cheon-u died or survived from the Heavenly Thunder Mine, it mattered little to the man.
If he died, it would fulfill the original intention of eliminating the Young Master So, and that would be the end of it. If he survived, an opportunity would arise to investigate further.
“Is he truly that strong? Strong enough for Heobeob to send me?”
“…From what was observed when dealing with Geuk Tae-cheon’s subordinates, his level is already considerable. However, it does not appear to match what Heobeob described.”
“Then how did he survive, exactly?”
“Because of Jin Cheon-u’s servant. He annihilated the bandits and killed Hyang Do-un.”
At those words, the man’s eyes gleamed with intrigue.
According to reports, there were nearly a hundred men gathered there. Yet, to protect his master, he slaughtered most of them and even killed Geuk Tae-cheon and Hyang Do-un?
“Haha— So there’s a possibility that what Heobeob was concerned about wasn’t Jin Cheon-u at all, but this one?”
“That possibility appears quite high.”
The man nodded.
Whether it was Jin Cheon-u or that servant, it mattered little.
That Heobeob told him to verify meant there was a high likelihood of connection with Gwanbaek or involvement with those who had been obstructing them thus far.
Therefore, he would kill them all.
If he severed their breath, would not everything become meaningless?
“Where did they say they were headed?”
“It’s the Northern Sea.”
“Hahaha— excellent. I was planning to go anyway, so I might as well take this opportunity to feast my eyes on it.”
He rose from his seat with an expression of profound satisfaction.
Standing at eight feet tall with a massive, imposing frame.
Though his appearance recalled Gu Gunbaek, the ferocity emanating from him was even more intense—a presence that conjured the image of a Mountain Lord incarnate.
His eyes gleamed coldly as he licked his lips.

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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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