The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 175

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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 175

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Within the rugged, unforgiving landscape of Cheonsan Mountain stood a magnificent structure that seemed to dissolve seamlessly into its surroundings.
A plaque hung there, inscribed with perfect calligraphy as though modeled after the form of a dragon—this was the place where the shadows of the Demon Sect were nurtured.
It was the Chohwon Hall.
There, the Hall Master Ryu Jin-hong gazed upon his son Ryu Gak standing before him, tilting his head in confusion.
“What did you just say?”
“A disciple of the Fierce Tiger Emperor, he claimed.”
“Why in the world is such a person here?!”
Ryu Jin-hong shot to his feet as though he had heard something utterly unbelievable.
Where was the Demon Palace?
Were they not the barbarians who seized Demon Sect disciples at will and picked fights without provocation?
Considering the relationship between the Demon Sect and the Southern Barbarians since the Fierce Tiger Emperor became their king, such a person should not exist here without losing his mind.
Moreover, with the inauguration ceremony of the new Sect Leader looming just ahead, the Demon Sect was desperately avoiding any entanglement with the Southern Barbarians.
Yet the visitor was none other than a disciple of the Fierce Tiger Emperor?
That was tantamount to saying he was the Junior Prince of the Demon Palace.
Ryu Jin-hong felt a headache coming on and pressed his temples.
“How could this possibly…!”
“Not long ago, Na Cheon-mun brought a horse. It turns out the Fierce Tiger Emperor had given it as a gift to his disciple.”
Ryu Jin-hong exhaled a long sigh and furrowed his brow.
Of all times, they had become entangled with the Demon Palace.
Even if things went well, they would break even; otherwise, they would lose everything.
Given the Fierce Tiger Emperor’s temperament, he would surely gnash his teeth and strike first with his fists.
“No wonder… they said it was a rare horse to see in these parts.”
Ryu Jin-hong recalled the face of Na Cheon-mun, who had brought the horse in with a self-satisfied expression.
He should have suspected something from the moment Na Cheon-mun spoke of acquiring it from a village near the Southern Barbarian lands, his eyes gleaming.
There was no way a fine steed could be found in such a remote backwater.
It was his own fault for not pressing the matter further.
“What am I to do… I have already presented it to the incoming Sect Leader….”
“….”
The greatest problem was that the horse had already been presented to the Sect Leader who would soon take office.
Of the three horses, two had long since been given to the one who would become the Junior Sect Leader and to Ma Young-jeon, the Junior Prince who was his betrothed.
Since the Chohwon Hall was the lowest-ranking of the countless Halls within the Demon Sect, survival depended on appeasing the sensibilities of those in higher positions in this manner.
There was no way to recover them.
Throb, throb—
His head did not merely ache; it felt as though it might shatter.
The hot-tempered Fierce Tiger Emperor and those Southern Barbarian brutes.
It would not be strange if they stormed in and destroyed everything on the spot.
Ryu Jin-hong exhaled a long sigh and rose from his seat.
One way or another, this crisis had to be contained.
Ideally, I would have liked to capture those Demon Awakening War disciples and force them to their knees, but since I knew that wasn’t immediately possible, I had no choice but to intervene personally.
“I’ll go myself.”
“I will accompany you.”
“…But tell me—is he really a disciple of the Fierce Tiger Emperor?”
“Go and see for yourself. The moment you lay eyes on him, you’ll know.”
At his son’s words, the furrow between Ryu Jin-hong’s brows deepened.
The confidence in his son’s voice left no room for doubt.
With a sigh, he moved with urgency.
Before the auspicious event could unfold and the Southern Barbarians stormed in to cause chaos, this crisis needed to be resolved swiftly.

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“Quite an extraordinary place.”
I took in the landscape visible through the window.
This was the Demon Sect.
The saying that all of Cheonsan Mountain was the Demon Sect proved entirely accurate—the terrain itself remained largely undisturbed by human construction, yet buildings of all kinds were scattered throughout in careful harmony with nature.
Because of this, proper roads had never been established, and the resulting landscape appeared almost otherworldly.
Whenever people needed to move, they employed lightness techniques to scale cliffs, step across towering branches, and navigate the narrow passages between them.
And that was merely the beginning.
Where valleys existed, they leaped across them, and when the distance proved too great, they didn’t hesitate to drive their swords into cliff faces and climb their way up.
They slid down slopes and launched themselves off rocks with such natural grace that the sight appeared almost surreal.
“In a different sense, they’re as mad as the Southern Barbarians.”
“Indeed… Hah! It’s breathtaking.”
Even Chu Hyeongi seemed at a loss for words at such a spectacle.
Yet watching them, I began to understand why the Righteous Path and the martial sects feared the Demon Sect so profoundly.
For them, daily life was cultivation itself.
Even the shortest distances required them to deploy lightness techniques, scale cliffs, and dash down slopes—every action performed with such effortless grace that it was indistinguishable from their everyday existence.
To grow weak was to perish.
Their very forms before my eyes proved this truth.
I glanced subtly at Namgung Yeon beside me.
Her gaze remained fixed on the window, unwavering.
It seemed as though she was determined to commit every detail of the Demon Sect disciples’ daily lives to memory, all while pushing herself harder with each passing moment.
The spectacle was undoubtedly that magnificent.
“So the Namgung Clan managed to hold back such warriors?”
“…Yes, that’s correct. I find myself feeling a sense of pride.”
“Hone yourself further. Do not bring shame upon your predecessors.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Namgung Yeon nodded with a faint smile.
She would understand without me saying it explicitly.
After all, from the beginning, she had intended to grow stronger by utilizing everything at her disposal.
I smiled faintly and turned my gaze back to Chu Hyeongi.
“You remember what I said as well.”
“Huh? You’re really doing this?”
“Of course. Would I be joking?”
“But still… how can I possibly use Young Master as a guard?”
Chu Hyeongi grumbled with a clearly dissatisfied expression.
Yes, this was precisely what differed from before.
After all, the Nakhyang Jin Family’s name held no sway in the Demon Sect. So there was no need to drag out Jin Cheon-u, who had returned to Nakhyang.
Moreover, wasn’t it the Southern Savage Palace that wielded greater influence here than I did?
Unlike before, I had decided to take a different approach—quietly assisting from the shadows.
“Even with the Demon Sect’s superior intelligence, they won’t have learned my face yet. And if I, who returned to Nakhyang, were to appear here, it would be far from ideal, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, that’s… true enough.”
“So I’m putting you at the forefront.”
“But what exactly am I supposed to do?”
Chu Hyeongi muttered anxiously.
He had grown accustomed to serving me since birth.
Now, suddenly being asked to play a reversed role would naturally be bewildering for him.
Of course, it would feel awkward, but those fools are currently preoccupied with the enthronement ceremony.
Since they’re in no position to scrutinize information arriving from the Central Plains in detail, I judged that we could easily deceive them.
“Don’t worry. Just do as your elder would. I’ll step in where needed.”
“Ah… understood.”
“Informal speech.”
“Ahahaha! Got it, you fool. Why are you talking so much? I said I’d handle it.”
…
Thump, thump.
He burst into loud laughter and patted my back repeatedly.
Was it because of this?
Both Namgung Yeon and Chaeseoha stared at Chu Hyeongi in astonishment, but he, as if indifferent to such matters, had fallen into a state of self-intoxication.
Just as I was about to speak.
I sensed a presence from outside.
I pulled Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon close to my side and kicked Chu Hyeongi’s knee, forcing him into his chair.
“Oof!”
With a brief grunt, his brow furrowed, but as the door opened and people entered, he concealed his expression and observed them.
There were just over ten people who had entered.
The first to catch my eye was Ryu Gak, the man who had brought us here.
If I heard correctly, he was called the Junior Prince of Chohwon Hall?
Then the one standing beside him must be Ryu Jin-hong, the Leader of Chohwon Hall.
I subtly kicked the chair.
Only then did Chu Hyeongi notice the signal and rise from his seat.
“I am Chu Hyeongi of the Namman Yasugun. The sole disciple of my master! Hahahaha!”
Chu Hyeongi laughed loudly.
His tone of voice and the confidence he exuded were unmistakable.
It was as if I were looking at a younger version of Gu Gunbaek.
I couldn’t believe how quickly he’d adapted.
“So you’re Ryu Jin-hong, leader of the Chohwon Hall. A direct disciple of the Demon King, you say?”
“That would be correct.”
“Can you prove it?”
In that instant, Chu Hyeongi smirked with amusement.
It was so identical to my own expression that it created an illusion of watching myself. Even Namgung Yeon and Chaeseoha glanced sideways at me in response.
I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I’d been teaching him.
As I unconsciously scratched my cheek,
Chu Hyeongi’s aura radiated outward in all directions.
The presence of a ferocious beast.
Simultaneously, his muscles began to swell without restraint, taking on the appearance of a weapon that could be wielded at any moment without seeming out of place.
What Chu Hyeongi displayed was unmistakably a martial art that only the Demon King could master.
No disciple of the Demon Sect would fail to recognize it.
“Satisfied?”
“…I see. That’s sufficient proof indeed.”
At those words, Chu Hyeongi withdrew his aura and released a small sigh of relief.
Then, glancing at me with a slight smirk, he lifted the corners of his mouth—like watching a child proudly showing off their accomplishments.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“Well, I’ve heard the details of what happened. I’ll resolve it as quickly as possible if it’s something I can handle… but the thing is…”
“Surely you didn’t sell us out?”
“Haha, nothing of the sort. Things are manageable enough. The problem is, I’ve already reported your words to the one who will become the new Sect Leader.”
—Flinch!
At that moment, upon hearing this, Chu Hyeongi flinched and looked at me.
His expression made it clear he hadn’t anticipated this situation, as if asking what should be done now.
Was such a look unfamiliar to me?
I noticed Ryu Jin-hong regarding me with a peculiar gaze.
As if wondering what kind of person I was.
Observing that, I lightly assumed a respectful fist salute and bowed properly.
“I am Cheon, bodyguard of the Junior Prince. I apologize for intruding so abruptly, but does that mean you won’t return it?”
“Haha, it’s not that I won’t return it…”
“…but rather that I cannot return it, is it?”
I smiled faintly.
After all, anyone with even a modicum of understanding would find such information dizzying in its value.
Given such circumstances, it was only natural to present it to catch the Sect Leader’s eye.
In the Demon Sect, where only the strong survive, it was entirely plausible behavior—seeking to impress a stronger master to receive superior teachings.
I had anticipated this as well.
But I cannot surrender what is mine.
Even if they claim to be the new Sect Leader of the Demon Sect.
The real issue is extracting maximum advantage from this entire affair.
“Ha… haha, I shall speak with the Commander about this. However, I cannot guarantee the outcome you desire will come to pass.”
“Understood. Then we shall wait here for the time being.”
“Wait here… in Chohwon Hall?”
“Should we not hear the answer before deciding whether to leave or stay? Moreover, with the coronation ceremony approaching and the successor of the Demon Palace having come all this way, it would be impossible not to report this matter.”
“That is… well….”
Ryu Jin-hong’s expression grew strained.
Though he desperately wished to cast us out immediately, the circumstances prevented him from even uttering such words.
At best, he might have considered driving us down to the Lower Village of Cheonsan, but had I been so foolish, I would never have orchestrated this meeting in the first place.
I smiled faintly, my gaze fixed upon Ryu Jin-hong.
“I trust you will provide a favorable answer, considering the relationship between Namman and the Demon Sect.”
At my words, Ryu Jin-hong squeezed his eyes shut.
No matter what measures he took, a favorable response seemed impossible, and he now understood that even expelling us had become an impossibility.
Chohwon Hall would treat us with utmost hospitality until this coronation ceremony concluded.

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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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