The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 171

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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 171

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A dark chamber where not a single ray of light penetrated.
The Divine sat motionless in that darkness, eyes closed.
Though he appeared to be sleeping, the trembling of his eyebrows suggested he was lost in troubled contemplation rather than slumber.
Then.
A breeze stirred.
In the moment when wind from somewhere brushed gently past him.
The man’s eyes slowly opened.
Flash—!
A crimson light radiated outward from his presence.
Simultaneously, something extraordinary occurred.
Whoosh—
The impenetrable darkness that had shrouded everything retreated in an instant, and countless candles positioned in unseen places ignited all at once.
The chamber flooded with light.
“Are they dead?”
The man murmured, his thoughts turning to two beings.
Two threads that had been connected snapped.
The threads binding Yeom Ji-hak and Chu Won, elders of the Twelve Angles.
This could only mean both had perished.
His brow furrowed deeply, remaining tense.
That sensation he felt the moment the threads severed.
One carried the unmistakable aura of a fierce beast, while the other was a presence far too familiar.
The spiritual energy of one I believed I would never see again.
He had sensed it.
In that instant, the man’s gaze shifted toward a single point.
Boom—!
The firmly sealed door burst open at merely his glance, and those waiting outside rushed in, prostrating themselves before him.
The Divine observed them briefly before speaking.
“Chu Won and Yeom Ji-hak are dead.”
“…!”
The moment his words ended, the head pressed against the ground suddenly jerked upward.
The death of two Twelve Elders who upheld Singyeo was indeed that shocking.
“We shall immediately dispatch the other elders!”
“…I sensed the Emperor’s presence.”
“…!”
“So that one truly lives.”
News of the dead man’s survival.
When I merely spoke the words “Find him,” there were many who harbored doubts.
After all, the Divine had personally struck him down, so his survival would mean nothing less than the Divine’s failure.
But now, things were different.
Sensing his spiritual energy meant Gwanbaek’s survival was certain.
“Clever of you to escape alive.”
Yet despite this blunder, the Divine seemed utterly unconcerned.
He merely smiled as though amused.
The recent cascade of failures, the Jade Orb that should have been recovered but never reached the Sect, all of it now made sense to him.
“How entertaining. You still wish to challenge me?”
The Divine turned his gaze away with a laugh.
A small display stand arranged to one side.
Upon it lay a black Jade Orb and a white one.
Since the Jade Orbs scattered across the Central Plains had not been recovered, only two remained.
As he reached toward them, the two Jade Orbs flew through the air and descended before the prostrate man.
“Fill the vacant positions. Let me see… the Sword Emperor would be fitting for one seat. And that child.”
“At once, my lord!”

* * *

Seven days had passed since the incident occurred.
During that time, there was nothing I could do but focus on my recovery.
However, the others had been quite busy, attending to the funerals of the fallen and disposing of the enemy dead.
No matter how thoroughly the Formation of Truth had been shattered, the Demon Palace’s Forbidden Zone remained.
It was a place where enemy corpses had no right to exist.
A practice emerged here that contrasted sharply with the customs of the Central Plains.
Unlike the Central Plains, where even enemy bodies were burned, the Southern Barbarians cast them into the forest.
According to Gu Gunbaek’s explanation, this would allow countless beasts, insects, and birds to feed, while the remaining matter would enrich the soil of Namman’s land.
Nourishing the earth with enemy corpses.
It defied conventional understanding, but if that was how the Demon Palace’s people did things, I saw no reason to question it.
As time passed, my condition improved markedly.
Seven days was a brief span, yet my recovery proceeded at a speed even I found astonishing—so much so that even vigorous movement caused little pain.
Chaeseoha explained that by perfectly absorbing the Spirit Elixir, the heirloom treasure of the Uiseon Chaega, my healing capacity had multiplied several times over. Her words proved true, for with each passing day, my condition grew steadily better.
At this rate, complete recovery seemed imminent.
Yet this did not mean my troubles had vanished.
I sat quietly, staring at what lay before me.
A sword, now broken into three pieces.
It was the blade I had received from my grandfather—and my lingering attachment to it.
Mukhang steel was far rarer than Gon-cheol, and blacksmiths capable of properly working with it were difficult to find.
Even if one were found, their skill remained questionable.
Though the intelligence networks of Hao Gate and the Jin Family could eventually locate a suitable craftsman, I desperately needed a sword to face the Singyeo’s forces and Gwanbaek’s faction, whose next attack could come at any moment.
That said, it’s impossible with the ordinary swords found in the marketplace.
Not only would they fail to withstand sword energy, but the moment I channeled my spiritual force, the blade would shatter into fragments.
To find a sword worth using, perhaps I should look in Gansu?
That blacksmith who once sold Namgung Yeon’s sword should be capable of crafting something of decent quality.
The problem is, this precious dark iron is far too valuable to waste.
Ideally, I’d prefer to find someone capable of forging a new blade from it.
“I’m troubled by this decision.”
“What are you pondering so intently about?”
At that moment, Gu Gunbaek suddenly appeared and thrust his head forward, examining the shattered fragments of my blade scattered on the ground.
Soon after, he glanced at my face and let out a snort of laughter.
“Listen here, you fool—instead of swinging around toothpick-like things, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you’d mastered my martial techniques? If one arm breaks, you have another; if that’s torn off, you have legs; if those are severed, you still have your head to use.”
“…I have no desire to find myself in such horrifying circumstances.”
“Krhrhrhrhh— this brat doesn’t understand that a man’s true weapon is his fists.”
Gu Gunbaek, his body wrapped in bandages, laughed while scratching vigorously at his healing wounds as if they itched unbearably.
Surely, if Chaeseoha saw this, she would scold him relentlessly.
Something about reopening wounds that were already mending.
I released a small sigh and asked him.
“Is there perhaps a skilled blacksmith in Namman? It would be ideal if they could work with dark iron.”
“A blacksmith? Of course we have one. Whether they can handle dark iron, I’m not sure, but….”
Gu Gunbaek paused, swallowing a groan as he surveyed the surroundings.
Numerous martial artists from the Demon Palace came into view.
As he examined them one by one, scratching his head, he soon smacked his lips and spoke.
“They’re all dead.”
“Pardon?”
“They all died in this battle. Ah— what do we do now? We don’t have anyone left to hammer iron. Should we go capture someone from the Dark Sect?”
The fact that no one in the Demon Palace could work with metal was certainly a significant problem, yet he showed no signs of dismay whatsoever.
This was because in Namman, if one wasn’t making weapons, the ability to work with metal wasn’t strictly necessary.
Without a hoe, they dug with their bare hands; when a pickaxe was needed, they smashed with their fists.
Shelter from rain came from beneath trees, and beds were the earth itself—finding a use for metal was actually the harder task.
I grasped my head and sighed.
It was my mistake for asking Gu Gunbaek in the first place.
“Hmm? Isn’t that dark iron? It’s quite shattered, isn’t it?”
That was when it happened.
The man known as the second-in-command of the Demon Palace approached quietly atop a leopard and observed the scene.
Upon confirming the shattered blade, he clicked his tongue disapprovingly, then opened his mouth as he looked at me.
“You see, if you knew how to use your fists, all of this….”
“That’s enough. I’ve already heard that speech.”
Upon hearing the Deputy Leader repeat the exact same words as Gu Gunbaek, I shook my head, and he scratched his head with an awkward expression.
Then he glanced at me.
“Are you trying to repair that?”
“Yes, but it won’t be easy.”
“Why?”
“…It’s difficult to find a Blacksmith capable of working with Murky Iron.”
Speaking aloud something that should be common sense without being asked felt tedious.
I knew well enough that there was no malice behind it, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if Gu Gunbaek and the Deputy Leader were taking turns mocking me.
The similarity in their demeanor certainly didn’t help matters.
As I exhaled a long sigh and gazed once more at the fractured blade, the Deputy Leader’s embarrassed voice finally reached my ears.
“Truly, what an odd fellow you are. Standing right before the greatest Blacksmith under heaven.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Aren’t you looking for a skilled Blacksmith?”
“That’s correct.”
“He’s right there—the greatest Blacksmith under heaven.”
“Ah—.”
At the Deputy Leader’s words, Gu Gunbaek nodded as if recalling something.
When I turned my head to look where he was pointing, I saw only trees, grass, and rocks.
Were they mocking me again?
As I began to furrow my brow and speak—
“Right, that’s true. I’ve heard of him too. We just need to bring that bastard here.”
“What?! Are you trying to start a war? Those are already sharpening their blades.”
“Then what? All our smiths have already crossed the River of Three Paths.”
“Good heavens—don’t even think about it. Everyone’s already on edge with the new Sect Leader taking the throne.”
As their back-and-forth banter continued, my eyes widened.
Piecing together what the two of them were saying, it became clear that the so-called greatest Blacksmith under heaven was located within the Demonic Sect.
I fell silent in thought.
Even as I searched through my past memories, nothing came to mind about this. Perhaps it was because there had been no reason to seek out a Blacksmith before my regression.
And so, I had no information on this matter.
“Are you truly saying there’s a Blacksmith of such caliber within the Demonic Sect?”
“The man speaks truth. Those gloomy bastards discard anyone without skill—whether they’re martial artists or merchants. From what I’ve seen, while he may not reach the level of greatest under heaven, there’s definitely someone there who can work Murky Iron with ease.”
“No, he’s the greatest under heaven, I tell you. Those Demonic Sect dogs never stop bragging about it.”
“When have those fools ever spoken anything but lies? Don’t talk back to me.”
As Gu Gunbaek raised his fist slightly, the Deputy Leader clamped his mouth shut.
But their conversation no longer reached my ears.
A skilled Blacksmith capable of working Murky Iron.
One so exceptional that even Gu Gunbaek held absolute confidence in him.
And he resided in none other than the Demonic Sect.
The moment my thoughts concluded, I managed to dredge up a fragment of memory.
The ascension of the new Sect Leader I had just heard about.
Then Ma Un, the Ink Thunder Sword Demon whom even the heads of the Rival Sects feared, had risen to the position of Cheonma—the one who had earned the title of the Ill-Fated Cheonma.
“Had that time already come?”
Was it earlier than before, or had it been delayed?
I had heard rumors about it before, but since it had never been directly relevant to me, I had simply let those words pass through my ears and fade away.
But what did it matter whether I went sooner or later?
If I had to go, then I would go.
Since there was a way to repair my sword nearby, my feet naturally had to move in that direction.
As I smiled with that resolve, Gu Gunbaek seemed to understand something and let out a chuckle.
“You’re going?”
“Yes. I am determined to repair this sword, after all.”
“Hahahaha! Only you would speak so casually about walking into the Demonic Sect Lair without a shred of fear. Especially when those bastards are probably on edge right now.”
“As long as I don’t provoke them, it should be fine, shouldn’t it?”
“Hehehehe, we’ll see about that.”
Gu Gunbaek laughed, his eyes gleaming with absolute certainty that things would not go smoothly.
That mischievous glint in his gaze troubled me greatly.
“And I’m not going.”
“…You can’t go?”
“No, I’m choosing not to go. If I set my mind to it, what could possibly stop me? But look here—no matter how poorly I’ve been managing my duties as Deputy Leader, my people have been wounded and killed. How could I abandon my post?”
“Ah.”
“So I’ll be staying here for now. I’ve already taught that Chu Hyeongi fellow enough that he should be useful.”
I nodded at Gu Gunbaek’s words.
The current situation at the Demon Palace was dire, so Gu Gunbaek could not move freely either.
As a result, I could not bring along the Nakhyang Jin Family’s greatest protector.
I felt a pang of regret and clicked my tongue slightly.
“Don’t worry. We’ll see each other again someday. Besides, there’s still much to teach that Chu Hyeongi fellow. Once my schedule clears up and I grow tired of this place, I’ll come visit again.”
“I will be waiting.”
“Hahahaha! That’s right, that’s right. When that time comes, you’d better bring along a whole jug of fine liquor.”
Thump—thump—
Gu Gunbaek laughed heartily and patted my back.
Despite having spent considerable time together and grown quite close, the ease with which he sent me off was characteristic of his nature.
I rose from my seat with a smile.
Now that I had set my destination, it was time to move.
The moment had come to enter the place where the Lord of Demons dwelled.

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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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