The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 19

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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 80

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“Aaaarrrrgh-!”
Jin Baek-ryong returned to the Unryong Inn, his residence, and threw a fit of rage, smashing furniture as he could no longer contain his fury.
The sound echoed so loudly that even the workers laboring in the distance felt their spirits dampened as they exchanged nervous glances.
“Hah, hah, who in the world is this bastard….”
Jin Baek-ryong ground his teeth and recalled a single person.
The existence that had mocked and trampled upon him right before his eyes.
Yet no matter how much he pondered, he could not discern the identity.
Someone carrying that amount of money would have to be at least a figure from one of the great merchant families—one of the Five Masters of the Central Plains, no less.
“Fengyun? Zhongyuan? Jinchuan?”
Following the Nakhyang Jin Family, he listed the names of the Three Great Merchant Houses. If they were merchant families with close ties to the martial alliance or martial factions, it wouldn’t be strange for them to maintain such powerful escorts.
Shake, shake.
But soon he shook his head.
Even they could not casually carry around a promissory note worth a hundred taels of gold.
Not something even Jin Baek-ryong could easily afford.
Someone who could produce such a sum without hesitation….
“Elder brother?”
Yes, it could only be the patriarch of the Nakhyang Jin Family.
Or perhaps the Emperor himself.
But that made no sense either.
Due to the mask, he could not determine precisely, but one thing was certain.
The person was young.
Perhaps even younger than he had initially thought.
The eyes visible between the mask’s edges bore not a single wrinkle, and the voice differed greatly from those of seasoned elders.
Then who could it be?
Jin Baek-ryong steadied his breathing and attempted to deduce the identity.
But a chilling voice pierced clearly into his ears, dragging Jin Baek-ryong back to the cold reality once more.

“Bring the remaining money by this time tomorrow. For each day you are late, the interest compounds at four percent. Acknowledge this.”

The debt I owed to the Golden Coin House amounted to just over forty taels.
However, the situation was somewhat troublesome.
Unlike Jin Ga-muk, who could freely draw funds from the battlefield as he pleased, I had recently traveled back and forth to Nakhyang celebrating Jin Ga-muk’s birthday and entertaining Ga Inhoo, and my expenditures had grown substantial after presenting tributes to win more of the Emperor’s favor.
If forty taels from the Golden Coin House went out now, it would punch a significant hole in the finances of both the inn I operated and my other assets.
Yet I couldn’t simply ignore the matter either.
The creditor knew my face.
Moreover, with a signed contract in place, there was no way to deny it. If I didn’t repay, the interest would accumulate beyond control as time passed.
“Tch…!”
Jin Baek-ryong clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly.
I had to resolve this situation by any means necessary.
Then, suddenly, an obvious thought descended upon my mind.
It was simple logic.
What was lost through gambling could be recovered through gambling.
In truth, that man had simply gotten lucky with one big win, but before that, I had never lost once and had taken everything.
Moreover, nothing was as convenient and certain as this.
If even that didn’t work, blood would have to be spilled.
Jin Baek-ryong’s lips curved into a sinister smile.
“Are they outside?”
“Yes! Have you found them?”
“Go and bring the Five Masters.”
“Yes!”
Those simply called the Five Masters.
Not guards raised by the Nakhyang Jin Family, but martial experts I had cultivated connections with here in Beijing, building relationships through my own efforts.
Their skills were incomparable to those men I had faced yesterday.
The greatest martial masters in Beijing.
Disciples of the Seven Star Sect.
Jin Baek-ryong’s lips curved upward darkly.

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The Crown Prince learned of Dowon Village’s existence.
Much sooner than originally anticipated.
Though Dowon Village was supposedly guarded as tightly as iron by the masters of Hao Gate and the Imperial Palace, there was an inevitable difference when compared to the Imperial Palace itself.
After all, there were only a handful of Dongchuang and Geumwi personnel, so the operation could proceed far more smoothly than assaulting the Imperial Palace.
Moreover, now that he had identified Dowon Village, he would also understand the significance of the tokens he possessed.
Bronze, silver, gold, and jade tokens.
He would have realized that the closer one stood to the Emperor, and the greater one’s power and authority, the different the type of token one possessed.
And if he could completely eliminate those holding gold or jade tokens, he could uproot the most powerful forces following the Emperor.
For a Crown Prince yearning to sit upon the throne, there was no better situation than this.
The problem was that Chaeseoha would undoubtedly be on his death list.
Having kept the Emperor alive while he languished in sickness, she would be a thorn in his side.
So, the moment things unfolded, I planned to find Chaeseoha as quickly as possible and escape Beijing.
That was what I had to do.
But before that, there was someone I needed to teach a lesson.
It was my uncle who discovered Chaeseoha, and it was also my uncle who humiliated me in the past.
The injury from past events was too great to simply overlook, and knowing my uncle’s contemptible nature, it seemed best to settle this decisively while the opportunity presented itself.
After finishing my deep contemplation and turning my gaze away, I had somehow arrived at the inn.
Dawn, when the sun was about to rise.
Because of this, the darkness was particularly deep.
It seemed like a good time to take a brief rest.
I separated Gu Gunbaek and Jang Chuchyeong and returned to my room.
Rather than sleeping, I simply cultivated my energy, and when I opened my eyes, my mind was completely refreshed.
As I scratched my itching ear, left the room, and headed downstairs, I saw Gu Gunbaek and Jang Chuchyeong, who also appeared to have barely slept, already seated and eating.
Their bowls were piled high, apparently quite hungry.
Both of them had impressive appetites.
“You’re awake? Come eat something. This old woman’s cooking skills are as impressive as her way with words.”
Though the inn had a somewhat unpleasant smell, this innkeeper’s culinary skills were exceptional.
The reason the place was always full of guests despite being tucked away in such a corner was thanks to her talent.
Cooking skills rivaling high-class inns at excellent prices.
I took a seat across from Gu Gunbaek.
Then suddenly, a rough palm entered my field of vision.
“What is it?”
“What do you mean what? You need to return what’s mine.”
For a moment, unable to grasp the meaning, I blinked and looked at Gu Gunbaek. Since I had borrowed nothing from him, I couldn’t understand this sudden situation.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Obviously, what I lost yesterday. You need to return it. Thirty taels of gold. You can keep the change.”
Only then could I understand what Gu Gunbaek was trying to say.
The thirty taels of gold I lost to Jin Baek-ryong at Dowon Village.
He was asking me to return it.
Finding it absurd, a hollow laugh escaped my lips.
“I won with my own money, so why should I return it?”
“Listen here, you fool. That money was gathered to build a palace for my disciple in the Southern Lands. Isn’t that right, my disciple?”
“Yes! It’s my palace, Master!”
Jang Chuchyeong, who had been eating, suddenly lifted his head and chimed in agreement. His eyes sparkled like an innocent child’s, as if he truly believed he would live in a palace.
What shameless audacity.
As I stared at Gu Gunbaek with an exasperated expression, he grinned widely and pointed at me with his chopsticks.
“In the first place, you only won that money because of me.”
“And what sort of sophistry is that?”
“Think about it. I won so much money with just a few silver coins, so that bastard targeted me. Since I got cleaned out by him, you turned the tables on him. So you earned that money thanks to me.”
“I see.”
“So your winnings are all thanks to my efforts. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Gu Gunbaek looked at Jang Chuchyeong, whose eyes were shining brightly, and sought his agreement.
“Master’s words are absolutely correct.”
“See? Even this one agrees with me.”
Gu Gunbaek stared at me with a shameless grin and laughed.
Then he extended his hand again, demanding money.
Is this what it feels like to be shaken down by a bandit?
It seemed he’d picked up some questionable habits from his time as a bandit king.
I couldn’t think of what to say.
I simply shook my head and picked up my chopsticks again.
“Stingy bastard! You’ve got plenty of money and you’re going to act like this?”
“A merchant, by nature, does not squander money carelessly. If you wish for its return, propose a trade worthy of it.”
“Hahaha! What trade could you possibly make with someone who owns nothing? Hmm… wait, actually you do have something.”
“What might that be?”
“I have it, after all—who am I? Would you perhaps like to raise a white dog?”
At those words, I set down my chopsticks and stared intently at Gu Gunbaek.
No matter how I thought about it, his words made no sense.
I unconsciously furrowed my brow.
“You should raise it yourself.”
“Really? It has excellent bloodlines, you know.”
“That’s enough.”
Given that he spoke of the dog having good bloodlines, it was certainly a fine animal, but I had no desire to keep a pet.
Besides, I couldn’t imagine Gu Gunbaek raising a dog properly, so it was a condition that would never lead to a deal.
“Tsk, that white dog of his is useless anyway. Come on! You really won’t give me anything?”
“Propose a trade that appeals to my interests. Until then, I shall keep it safe and sound without spending a coin.”
“Damn these merchant bastards!”
He had no right to complain, seeing as he was living off the merchant’s household without doing any work.
I smiled and picked up my chopsticks once more.
Now I could finally eat in peace.
Just then, the inn door creaked open.
At the same moment, five men entered through the doorway.
They wore martial robes of unknown origin, swords gripped firmly in their hands. At a glance, I could tell they were warriors, and something about their familiar faces made me scrutinize them carefully without thinking.
It took only a moment.
“The Five Masters of the Chilseong Sect.”
“Really? What brings them here…”
Voices erupted from various corners of the inn. Everyone gazed at them with eyes full of reverence.
The men called the Five Masters seemed accustomed to such attention, responding with small smiles.
I knew of them as well.
The Chilseong Sect, Beijing’s representative martial faction, and its Five Masters.
While incomparable to places like the Nine Sects or Eight Great Families, they were counted among the finest sects in Beijing.
And those called the Five Masters were the very core of the Chilseong Sect.
They maintained Beijing’s security, conducted martial expeditions, and apprehended criminals—engaging in numerous activities that made them known to every resident of Beijing.
Most notably, they had once served as Jin Baek-ryong’s personal guards.
Upon entering, they sat in a corner seat as if they hadn’t come hunting for anyone in particular, ordering a simple meal.
From their demeanor alone, it seemed they had merely come to satisfy their hunger.
I withdrew my gaze from them while opening my ears, concentrating on their voices.
The inn grew even more chaotic with their arrival.
Multiple sounds blended together, making it difficult to pinpoint their voices. But I opened my senses as wide as possible and began to isolate their conversation. In moments, I could hear what I wanted.
“Still, no matter how much of a connection there is, can they really summon people around like this?”
“Be quiet. Isn’t he a bloodline of the Nakhyang Jin Family? He has every right to be arrogant.”
“Ha, let’s think positively. We’re here to help, not harm, are we not? The sect leader sent us for this reason.”
They seemed to be whispering quietly among themselves, but their voices weren’t small enough to escape my ears or Gu Gunbaek’s.
Gu Gunbaek, who had been using his chopsticks, stared directly at me.
“Did you call them?”
“It wasn’t me.”
“Arrogant bloodline of the Nakhyang Jin Family. It’s obviously you.”
“It wasn’t.”
I ignored Gu Gunbaek’s words and moved my chopsticks.
As I ate to fill my hungry stomach, I gazed at them with a natural expression, committing each familiar face to memory once more.
The Chilseong Sect and the Five Masters.
Compared to the sects and families that comprised the Martial Alliance, they were so obscure that even calling them insignificant would be generous.
There was only one reason I remembered their names, sect, and faces.
They were the ones who beat Jang Chuchyeong on Jin Baek-ryong’s orders.
They were none other than the Five Masters of the Chilseong Sect.
Regardless of past matters, the reason they were summoned by Jin Baek-ryong at this particular time.
The answer came without needing to think deeply.
I moved my chopsticks to my mouth and let out a quiet laugh.
“He’s setting the stage.”
And it was quite an interesting stage at that.

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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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