The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 174

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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 174

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Before setting out on the road, I indulged in a warm bath for the first time in ages and enjoyed a proper meal.
Lying on a comfortable bedchamber instead of hard ground, I felt a comfort so profound it made me forget the pain of golden needles.
The exhaustion from Namman seemed to evaporate in an instant.
Rising early the next morning, I took a quick meal at the inn and mounted the horse I had prepared.
It was hardly a thoroughbred of distinguished lineage, but among what was available, it was a reasonably fine specimen.
I loosened my tightly bound hair and let my bangs fall forward.
Though somewhat disheveled, it suited me well enough.
With my bangs now obscuring my forehead and eyes, it would be difficult for anyone to recognize me as Jin Cheon-u.
Once all preparations were complete, we urged our horses forward toward Cheonsan.
Though the distance was considerable and the journey would be long, everyone accepted it without complaint—it was far more manageable than the ordeal of Namman.
We pressed forward relentlessly, not even pausing to rest, taking only simple meals of dried meat while mounted, a pace that could only be described as a forced march.
It was seven days later when Cheonsan came into view.
Unlike my initial estimate of four days, the journey took four additional days because the horses could not endure the relentless pace and had to stop several times along the way.
“Wow—is that Cheonsan?”
Chu Hyeongi, who had just taken in the landscape of Cheonsan before us, widened his eyes in considerable astonishment.
It was as though he were seeing it for the first time.
“You didn’t see it when you were with the elder?”
“How could I have had time to look? I was too busy beating people senseless to appreciate the view.”
As if to prove his point, his wide eyes remained fixed on the spectacle of Cheonsan, unwavering.
It was indeed magnificent and beautiful.
The mountain range, stretching endlessly into the distance, possessed such a sharp and piercing quality that it would not be surprising if the very name Sword Forest had originated from Cheonsan itself.
I gazed upon it and turned my head.
“Are you alright?”
“I am fine. There is no need for concern.”
Namgung Yeon, steadying his breath at my words, nodded once more.
Simply by observing how his eyes brightened as if drawing strength from my voice, I could see there was no further cause for worry.
I smiled and urged the horse forward again.
As the distant landscape of Cheonsan drew ever closer, the scenery at the mountain’s base gradually revealed itself.
There stood a massive village.
Though it resembled Hwajeon like the Allied Faction, the scale was incomparable.
From the time we departed for Namman until now.
Among the countless villages in Demonic Sect Territory, this was the first of such grandeur.
It was as though I were gazing upon a Beijing nestled within the mountains.
Was this, then, the true center of Demonic Sect Territory?
Clop, clop—
As I rode into the village, I felt the atmosphere shift around us.
There was something oddly vibrant about this place.
People were smiling brightly everywhere, to the point where one might question whether this was truly Demon Sect territory, and without exception, their spirits seemed lifted.
The inauguration ceremony of the New Sect Leader, about to commence.
It felt less like a solemn occasion and more like a festival.
“Is this really the Demon Sect…? It doesn’t seem so different from Nakhyang.”
“Of course not. People are the same wherever they live.”
Namgung Yeon looked around with an expression of disbelief.
The image of the Demon Sect she had imagined and the sight before her eyes were starkly contradictory, no matter how she tried to reconcile them.
The Righteous Faction treated Demon Sect disciples as demons, and unsettling rumors always accompanied them, so it made sense that Namgung Yeon harbored similar prejudices.
I surveyed the bustling crowd around me.
While most appeared to be Demon Sect disciples, a considerable number of others were also quite visible.
Merchants with favorable relations to the Demon Sect had seized this opportunity, selling their wares at inflated prices.
Watching this, I licked my lips.
“I should have brought Sanghang along.”
“All you think about is making money?”
“On occasions like this, a little price gouging is perfectly acceptable. Pennies transform into silver ingots in an instant. It’s quite lucrative.”
“Now I understand why prices skyrocket during festivals.”
At Chaeseoha’s remark, even Namgung Yeon nodded in agreement. The two women then quietly distanced themselves from me.
It was as if they wanted nothing to do with an unscrupulous merchant.
I shrugged my shoulders.
That’s what merchants do.
We don’t miss opportunities to turn small coin into great wealth.
Of course, this doesn’t mean selling just anything indiscriminately.
To earn substantial profit, one must sell inexpensive goods that the greatest number of people desperately need.
Things like skewered meat or sweets that are easy to consume.
If you can entice a child, emptying their parents’ purses becomes trivial.
But if I were to sell something here, I would choose a method far more economical yet far more profitable than such trifles.
“Water! Fresh water here! Valley stream water drawn from Cheonsan Valley! The weather’s hot—quench your thirst with a refreshing cup!”
Sure enough, I spotted what appeared to be a Water Peddler in various spots, filling gourds with water and enticing passersby.
As if the weather itself conspired to aid him, people overcome by the oppressive heat began purchasing water one by one.
Whether the water truly came from Cheonsan or not was unknowable, but that it was the most refreshing water to combat this sweltering heat remained undeniable.
“That fellow will go far.”
“Wait, isn’t that a scam? There’s a well right over there.”
“Look at the line. Waiting for the well while your throat parches is a hundred times worse than spending a few coins. Besides, valley stream water beats well water any day.”
There were reasons aplenty why people paid to buy his water.
As I let out an involuntary chuckle, Chu Hyeongi, along with Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon, shook their heads with expressions of exasperation.
It seemed I had revealed my understanding of how to exploit people.
As we slowly walked and moved elsewhere in that moment.
Chu Hyeongi, who had been following behind, wore a puzzled expression.
“Young Master, the inn is this way.”
“I have no intention of staying at an inn.”
Had things gone according to my original plan, I would have lodged at one of the inns in this place and sought a way to slip inside undetected.
But circumstances have changed.
Now that I have a legitimate pretext, there is no need for such subterfuge.
I surveyed my surroundings and promptly located the individuals I required.
One wore robes of precious silk, flanked by several Imperial Guards.
Though they concealed their spiritual energy as much as possible, the faint aura characteristic of demonic cultivation leaked through—enough for me to identify them as Demon Sect Disciples at a glance.
Yet such individuals were abundant in these streets.
What drew my attention to this particular group was not merely their appearance, but the way pedestrians instinctively lowered their heads and parted before them as they passed.
This suggested they held positions of considerable influence within The Order—a rarity even among the countless Demon Sect Disciples.
When one does not know which direction to go, following such individuals proves most expedient.
The four Demon Sect Disciples proceeded with clear purpose, naturally departing the village and moving toward some distant destination.
We followed in their wake.
From the village until now.
Even those with dull perception should have noticed by now that someone was trailing behind them.
The group ahead came to an abrupt halt.
Then they glanced back toward us.
Upon seeing me, Chu Hyeongi, Chaeseoha, and Namgung Yeon, their brows furrowed.
Presently, the man at the center fixed his gaze upon me.
“Are you, by chance, following us?”
“Yes, we are.”
“For what reason?”
“Because I do not know the way into the Demon Sect.”
At these words, the man’s frown deepened considerably.
Was it because of this?
The men beside him placed their hands upon their sword hilts in a threatening gesture.
A clear warning that they would draw at the slightest provocation.
Consequently, Namgung Yeon and Chu Hyeongi tensed, positioning themselves at my side with vigilant caution.
I could hardly fail to understand their wariness.
When strangers persist in following one, suspicion of their intentions is only natural.
“If I have caused offense, I apologize. However, we too have pressing need to enter the Demon Sect, and thus I have been presumptuous.”
“You must enter the Demon Sect? For what purpose?”
“We have come seeking a man named Na Cheon-mun of the Chohwon Hall.”
“Na Cheon-mun?”
The man showed no recognition of the name, turning to his companion with a puzzled expression.
Thereupon, one of the bodyguards whispered something to him.
Surely information regarding this Na Cheon-mun.
“The Chohwon Hall handles miscellaneous affairs, and Na Cheon-mun is indeed a figure there. But I would know—why do you seek this man?”
“We have come to retrieve a horse.”
“A horse? You mean the kind one rides?”
When I nodded at the man’s question, everyone’s brows furrowed.
It wasn’t unusual for someone from the Demon Awakening War to ride horses, but the fact that he’d come to retrieve one felt difficult to comprehend at first glance.
“The person here received this horse as a birthday gift—it’s one of the finest steeds in all the Central Plains, difficult to procure even there. I left it in someone’s care for a time, but the Stable Keeper apparently sold it to a man named Na Cheon-mun.”
“Sold it? That means someone paid money for it. Shouldn’t we be capturing that Stable Keeper instead?”
It was the reaction I’d anticipated.
Judging by their attitude—that since money had exchanged hands there was no problem—it was clear that the horse Na Cheon-mun had brought had become quite the topic of conversation among them.
Or perhaps he’d already presented it to Ma Un, who would take the position of the new Demon King.
I smiled slightly and pulled something from my sleeve, tossing it over.
A purse flew through the air and landed in the man’s hand.
“That’s the price Na Cheon-mun paid for the horses. He took three of them, not just one, and I’ve brought back the full amount—please verify it.”
The man who received the purse checked its contents.
Though it contained a considerable sum, considering the value of the horses he’d taken, it felt woefully insufficient.
A figure who appeared to be a bodyguard whispered something again.
Surely he was speaking about the value of the horses.
It seemed clear they were all connected to Na Cheon-mun.
Sure enough, I saw the corners of the man’s mouth rise, and soon he tossed the purse back toward me.
“I apologize, but it would be better to use that money to purchase new horses. And I’m warning you—it would be wise not to follow us any further.”
The man, his eyes cold and menacing as he delivered his warning, turned his back and began walking away.
Watching him go, I fingered the purse in my hand and murmured to myself.
“Didn’t I say? It was a gift I received.”
“Ha ha ha—then go back and receive it again.”
The man, without even glancing back, waved his hand mockingly and paid me no further mind, the distance between us growing steadily.
In that moment, I stopped them in their tracks with just a single phrase.
“I received it from the Fierce Tiger Emperor.”
“…!”
“And this person here is his direct disciple.”
Sure enough, the men stopped dead in their tracks.
As if they could no longer ignore me, they turned their faces—which had refused to even look my way—and stared at me, their lips trembling as they spoke.
“Who… who did you say just now?”
“The Fierce Tiger Emperor. You don’t know? He lived quite nearby. And this person is his disciple, as I mentioned.”
I gently pushed Chu Hyeongi forward to stand in front.
In that instant, I saw the men’s pupils flare with savage intensity. After all, I’d never seen neighboring factions get along well.
Especially after Gu Gunbaek became the Gung-ju—how much had they suffered?
It was enough to make one’s teeth grind.
Perhaps because of the killing intent that had begun to subtly emanate from the men, Chu Hyeongi, who had stepped forward somewhat awkwardly, smiled with an uncomfortable expression and spoke cautiously.
“…What are you doing?”
Startled by the sudden change in how I was addressing him, Chu Hyeongi hurriedly tried to speak, but I quickly reached out and jabbed him in the ribs, silencing him.
As the killing intent deepened, I gazed at the men with a bright smile on my face.
With an expression suggesting I wouldn’t mind if they attacked, I pointed mockingly toward the west where Namman lay and spoke.
“Should I go back and receive it again as you suggested?”
In that instant, deep furrows carved themselves across the men’s brows.

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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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