The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 173

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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 173

Entering Namman had been extraordinarily difficult, yet leaving it happened in what felt like an instant.
Contrary to my expectation that I would never be able to relax in such a humid, harsh place where one could not afford a single moment of carelessness, we found it oddly impossible to locate anything that hunted us.
I could still sense the breathing and gleaming eyes of the beasts.
Yet none of them approached us as if we were prey.
An outsider might have thought the people of the Beast Palace were protecting us, but I knew the truth was entirely different.
The reason was none other than the necklace hanging around Chaeseoha’s neck.
It was fashioned from sharp fangs, with what appeared to be beast fur clustered around it like ornaments.
It was a gift Gu Gunbaek had given to Chaeseoha.
A decoration made from the fangs and fur of Baek Gu from her childhood.
Despite the passage of time, the distinct scent it carried kept the beasts from approaching carelessly.
Thanks to this, we were able to set out on our journey smoothly.
But the humidity and heat were unavoidable.
And the one most greatly affected by this situation was none other than Chaeseoha.
“The place where the Elder was, that was bearable at least, but here is truly… desiccating.”
She continuously fanned herself with a hand fan, attempting to cool the heat, but it was far too intense to be dispelled by mere fanning.
“Compared to the Forbidden Land, this is paradise. Bear with it a little longer.”
“Was it truly that severe?”
Namgung Yeon, who had been listening to our conversation, asked with curiosity, as if she could not imagine it.
Though not as much as Chaeseoha, she too was being considerably affected, yet hearing that the Forbidden Land was even worse than this stirred her curiosity.
“You’re right. Since you haven’t been there, you think this is difficult.”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking how extraordinary that place was.”
Zzzt—
At Jang Chuchyeong’s slightly mocking remark, Namgung Yeon accepted it sharply, her eyes flashing with intensity.
Such a piercing gaze would have intimidated anyone, yet Jang Chuchyeong took it in stride, his lips curling into a smirk.
“That’s why those who haven’t entered don’t know. That hell.”
….
Her tone and expression clearly seemed like she was teasing someone curious.
Perhaps because of that gleam in her eye—as if to say, you think I’ll tell you?—Namgung Yeon appeared to be struggling to compose herself.
Soon she turned her gaze toward me.
Did she believe I would tell her even if Jang Chuchyeong would not?
But I too had no desire to speak of it.
Explaining what happened there would require staying awake for an entire day and still fall short.
“I’ll tell you later. It’s something I don’t wish to recall right now.”
At my firm response, Namgung Yeon nodded and looked at Jang Chuchyeong with a triumphant gleam in her eyes, as if to say, I don’t need you to tell me anyway!
And so we walked for quite some time.
When we grew tired of walking, we rested; we ate the provisions we had brought from the Beast Palace and slept on the bare ground as if it were a bed, all without hesitation now.
Five days passed in this manner.
“At last…!”
“We’ve escaped.”
The moment I emerged from the dense forest of Namman, the air itself seemed to transform.
The breeze that swept across was refreshing, and the open vista created an illusion of stepping into an entirely different world from what lay behind.
Now I understood why Gu Gunbaek spoke of Namman as suffocating.
I let out a soft chuckle and turned my head.
Having escaped the forest, there was one thing I needed to do first.
“We should stop by the village and retrieve the horse I left behind.”
“Yes! I’ll lead the way.”
Jang Chuchyeong nodded readily and took point on the road.
Beyond the fact that we had escaped Namman, the reality of finally breaking free from Gu Gunbaek’s grasp seemed to have lifted his spirits considerably.
I smiled as I watched his elated expression.
And so we set out toward the village once more.
After traveling roughly half a day beyond the dense forest of Namman, a small town appeared before us.
Though it lay within the Demon Sect’s territory, there were fewer Demon Sect disciples visible than I had anticipated—likely because the border of Namman was so close.
Thanks to this, I had been able to leave the horse there before entering Namman, but the moment I stepped into the village following Jang Chuchyeong, I sensed something peculiar in the atmosphere.
Unlike before, I noticed eyes glancing furtively in our direction from various places, watching with a vigilance that felt like surveillance.
“What’s with them?”
When even Jang Chuchyeong wore a puzzled expression at the situation, I recalled something and nodded in understanding.
“It’s because of the Sect Leader’s inauguration ceremony.”
“Huh? What does that have to do with anything?”
“When a new Sect Leader is being inaugurated, it’s natural for outsiders to be viewed with suspicion. Who knows what trouble might arise during such a festival?”
“Ah-.”
Though closest to Namman, this was still within the Demon Sect’s sphere of influence. It was inevitable that we would be affected by their heightened alertness.
I paid the scrutinizing gazes little mind and headed toward the stable.
Though a small town, the stable was well-maintained. It seemed many travelers passed through on horseback, which was why I had felt confident leaving the horse there.
The moment I arrived at the stable, walking along the rough, uneven path.
The proprietor sitting inside looked up with a bright smile.
“Welcome-.”
He greeted us warmly with a smile, but the instant his gaze fell upon my face and my companions’, his complexion drained to a sickly pallor.
Without another word, he bolted.
“What? What?!”
Unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events, Jang Chuchyeong’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the fleeing Stable Keeper and me.
His expression seemed to ask: what in the world is happening?
I exhaled a long sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Bring him back.”
The moment the command left my lips, Namgung Yeon moved as though she had been waiting for it, launching herself forward.
With graceful movements, she pushed off the ground and closed the distance, capturing the fleeing Stable Keeper before Jang Chuchyeong could even react.
Thud-!
“Aaaagh!”
With a sharp cry, the fallen man clutched his head and groaned, and only then did Jang Chuchyeong, who had been approaching hesitantly, drag him by the scruff of the neck.
“What is this man?”
“Can’t you tell by looking? The Stable Keeper. But….”
I stared coldly at the man trembling like an aspen leaf, then turned my gaze to survey the interior of the stable.
Several horses came into view.
All of them were cheap nags.
Seeing the shabby stable filled with worthless horses that seemed perfectly suited to this run-down village, I narrowed my eyes and fixed my gaze on the Stable Keeper.
“No matter how much I look around, I don’t see our horse.”
“W-what are you talking about? Who, who exactly are you people?!”
Ah—so that’s how you want to play it?
I couldn’t discern the full situation, but it was clear he had sold the horse.
Just as I treasured my Sword above all else, that horse was among my most precious possessions. To have sold it meant he was asking for a confrontation with me.
I did not hesitate.
Thwack—!
“Ugh?!”
I lightly struck his shin and, as he collapsed, pressed my foot firmly onto his hand.
“Aaaahhh—!”
“Don’t scream. We haven’t even started yet.”
“Eek?!”
I increased the pressure on the foot pinning his hand.
With each increase in force, the man’s screams grew louder, and he thrashed desperately, trying everything to wrench his hand free.
It was futile, of course.
There was no way someone without martial training could manage it.
Crunch—!
“Ahhhhh! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
Finally, unable to endure any longer, the man cried out through tears.
Only then did I release the pressure from my foot and regard him.
I sent him a sharp, piercing gaze and uttered a cold word, as if warning him that any lies would not be tolerated.
“This mercy is given only once.”
“Eek?! Y-yes, I understand! I will tell you only the truth!”
“Speak.”
At my heavy word, the man nodded frantically.
Then, slowly composing himself as if to calm his frayed nerves, he carefully began to speak.
“Well… not long ago, people from the Demon Sect came to this place. They, they were demanding a higher amount of the money they usually collect. As you know, soon… the inauguration of the New Sect Leader is approaching.”
“And?”
“Everyone scraped together every coin they had, tightening their belts, and gave it to them… but then these people, who we thought would just leave, spotted the horse that the Young Master had entrusted to us.”
I nodded.
Anyone with even a modicum of knowledge about horses would recognize the immense value of the mounts ridden by Namgung Yeon, Chaeseoha, and myself.
The horses ridden by Namgung Yeon and Chaeseoha were of fine breeding, and among them was a horse that could not be obtained anywhere in this region.
No one could help but have their eyes drawn to it.
“So they took it with them.”
“…I am deeply sorry. I will repay the money without fail, so please spare my life.”
The man prostrated himself on the ground and began to shed tears.
Though he spoke as though he were the victim in all of this, his eyes told a different story entirely.
Eyes that desperately sought escape from this predicament.
I let out a soft chuckle and turned my gaze toward Namgung Yeon.
Shing—
The moment she drew her sword and pointed it at the man, all color drained from his face, leaving him deathly pale.
“From now on, simply nod at what I say.”
Nod, nod—!
“It is true that those who came to collect the money saw the horses. But they did not steal them. Look at the expressions of the villagers here—they revere the Demon Sect disciples rather than fear them.”
Fear and reverence are fundamentally different things.
If I think of recent events, it would be the Gi Ryeon Hyeon Family, and going further back, the Eastern Families.
The expressions and eyes of the villagers in the settlements they controlled were filled with dread and terror, but these people were not.
This meant they were not oppressed by force.
As expected.
The man, beads of cold sweat rolling down his face, managed to nod.
“Second, since those who go to Namman rarely return alive, you thought there would be no harm in selling the horses for profit.”
At those words, the man tried to shake his head vigorously, but Namgung Yeon’s blade, which had drifted forward, nearly pierced his throat.
One shake of the head, and his lifeline would be severed.
The man, tears welling in his eyes, nodded instead.
“On such an auspicious day as the inauguration of the new Sect Leader, those seeking horses would gladly pay a premium, and you knew well enough that if we returned and you claimed the Demon Sect disciples took them, there would be nothing we could do about it.”
Nod, nod—
A transparent scheme.
He had thought that by claiming the Demon Sect disciples stole them, there would be no way to recover them, and the matter would pass over smoothly.
I slowly reached out and grasped the man’s chin, lifting his face.
Meeting his gaze, I asked quietly.
“Who did you sell them to?”
“T-to Na Cheon-mun of the Demon Sect…”
“Who is that?”
“A-a person from the Chohon Hall.”
I did not know where Chohon Hall was.
But since even within the Demon Sect there would be those handling such miscellaneous affairs, I suspected that was likely where this person belonged.
I nodded and rose from my seat.
“What do we do about this?”
“What do you mean ‘what do we do’? We get them back.”
“Eh?! But he already sold them!”
From the perspective of the man from Chohon-gak, he had paid a fair price, so there was no problem whatsoever.
In this world, the one who gets cheated is always treated as the fool.
But that was fine—no, rather, it was better.
I let out a soft chuckle and opened my mouth.
“Now that I have a pretext to enter, how fortunate.”
At those words, everyone’s jaws dropped as they stared at me.
Their expressions were utterly dumbfounded.

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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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