The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 211

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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 Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 211

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“You’re certain they’re in a place like this?”

The Changryong Dan.

Members gathered in small clusters combed through the vicinity leading toward Shanxi with the precision of those hunting for lice. The grim expressions etched across every face made it abundantly clear—none of them relished this assignment.
Paeng Dohan, surveying the surroundings as he walked, turned his gaze toward Moryeong Hyeok.
The man at the very front, verifying information, nodded his head.
“No doubt about it. Those bastards are definitely in this area.”
“Sigh— I really don’t want to be rummaging through these mountains. Why do we have to be the ones doing this anyway?”
A man exhaled a long sigh, his brow furrowing deeply.
Hwangbo Yun.
A member of the Eight Great Families and someone who held considerable standing within the Changryong Dan.
He clicked his tongue, regarding Moryeong Hyeok with eyes that held no warmth—a far cry from the obsequious flattery he’d once lavished upon him. It was impossible not to notice how drastically Moryeong Hyeok’s position had diminished.
The shift was unmistakable to anyone observing.
Did it displease him?
Moryeong Hyeok’s gaze, still fixed on the information before him, shifted toward Hwangbo Yun. His eyes turned razor-sharp as he spoke with chilling composure.
“If you don’t wish to participate, you’re free to leave.”
“Leave? The Danju commanded it, so I have no choice but to comply.”
Moryeong Hyeok and Hwangbo Yun faced each other directly.
One’s expression dripped with mockery; the other’s betrayed deep displeasure.
The atmosphere had become utterly unbearable.
As the surrounding members of the organization fidgeted nervously, uncertain how to proceed, Paeng Dohan finally stepped forward to defuse the tension.
He positioned himself between the two men and spoke.
“Now, now—I understand both your positions. Hyeok, I grasp your frustration, and Yun, I understand yours as well. It’s true we moved forward without proper intelligence gathering initially. But since we’ve committed to this course of action, let’s avoid unnecessary complaints. Hyeok is making a genuine effort here, isn’t he?”
At Paeng Dohan’s words, Hwangbo Yun’s expression soured further, but he ultimately released an exasperated sigh and returned to rejoin the rest of the group.
Yet his displeasure remained plainly visible.
His eyes still held that unmistakable coldness.
Sensing this, Paeng Dohan scratched his head and looked toward Moryeong Hyeok.
“You shouldn’t provoke them either. I understand your feelings, but honestly, this wasn’t something we needed to rush into so desperately in the first place.”
“It’s merely a matter of apprehending a group of ruffians. I fail to see why such thorough investigation would be necessary.”
“Well, that’s….”
Paeng Dohan, about to bring up past events, closed his mouth. The incident he’d nearly mentioned—the affair with the Black Ox Society—had been approached without proper intelligence, after all.
He couldn’t possibly raise that subject again with Moryeong Hyeok, who had suffered the greatest losses from it.
In the end, he simply sighed and shook his head.
“What in the world are those bastards even doing….”
“You saw it too, didn’t you? An entire village reduced to rubble. We’re moving to resolve this before something worse happens.”
At Moryeong Hyeok’s resolute words, Paeng Dohan offered a bitter smile and nodded in acknowledgment.
The reason they had rushed into this task despite lacking proper intelligence.
Anyone among the Changryong Dan members present would understand, which meant dissenting voices like Hwangbo Yun’s were inevitable.
That obvious reason was his attempt to reclaim his shaken position of authority.
Though Paeng Dohan himself was deeply reluctant, knowing Moryeong Hyeok’s prideful nature, he couldn’t fault his friend’s earnest efforts.
In the end, he nodded and steeled his resolve.
“Fine! Then let’s handle this cleanly, shall we? Spectacularly, even. Haha! The name of our Changryong Dan will echo across the Central Plains!”
“…That’s reassuring.”
Was it because of such words?
Moryeong Hyeok offered a small smile and nodded.

* * *

A massive merchant caravan departed Luoyang and turned northward.
Their destination was Shanxi.
From there, they would veer northwest, passing through the Great Desert and the vast steppes. The mere thought of such an impossibly long journey made it feel as though my breath was catching in my throat.
But I steadied my mind.
Since I had already committed to this journey, I could use this extended period to rebuild and refine everything I had learned and experienced thus far.
Or rather…
“Mu Heo.”
The image of Gwanbaek as I had seen him in Namman.
The sword form of Mu Heo that he had displayed while wielding his blade.
If I could capture even a fraction of that seemingly unreachable technique, perhaps I could transcend my previous realm of mastery.
During this long journey, I intended to complete that pursuit.
Clop, clop—
I stood at the very front and glanced back.
The endless procession of the merchant caravan stretched behind me in a magnificent sight.
The slowly moving, endless column resembled watching a serpent undulate across the landscape.
Among them, one figure stood out distinctly.
None other than Cheon Yul.
He clung to Namgung Yeon and Chaeseoha like sticky rice cake, refusing to part from their sides, and it appeared to have irritated Namgung Baek.
“That bastard… Ugh!”
“Leave him be.”
“Is that wise? Even for someone from the Soocheonchu, isn’t he overstepping?”
“He’s the type who persists until his energy runs dry. He’ll remove himself soon enough, so there’s no need to concern yourself.”
Namgung Baek, aware that his own power could accomplish nothing, watched Cheon Yul with a displeased expression, but the moment their eyes met, he seemed to lose his nerve and hastily averted his gaze.
I shook my head at the sight.
“By the way, have you ever been to the Northern Sea?”
“Ah, yes. Once. Even now, the memory makes my teeth chatter. I don’t even understand why I’m going there again.”
Namgung Baek trembled as memories of his journey to the Northern Sea surfaced.
One could tell from his ashen, lifeless expression alone.
He had endured considerable hardship.
“Is there anything I need to know?”
“Simply avoid heading toward Mount Eternal Snow.”
“The snow mountain?”
“Yes, there are two routes to the Northern Ice Palace, and the fastest is to cut straight through Mount Eternal Snow. However… that place is rather… quite terrifying.”
At the mention of Mount Eternal Snow, I furrowed my brow.
I had heard of it before.
A place perpetually shrouded in snow and ice, wasn’t it?
Moreover, given its nature as a mountain, the bitter cold there blows far more fiercely than elsewhere. It’s renowned as a place even the people of the Northern Ice Palace rarely venture to.
“You survived remarkably well.”
“It was hell. Over fifty of us went, and I was fortunate enough to return alive alone.”
I nodded at his words.
Yet I wondered if it was fair to attribute forty-nine deaths and one survivor’s return to mere luck.
Unless the fallen had made desperate efforts to keep Namgung Baek alive, the probability of him returning alone would be virtually nonexistent.
I let out a soft chuckle.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes? Ah, yes! Please trust me!”
Namgung Baek thumped his chest with confident expression.
He seemed to have steeled his resolve to succeed in this journey no matter what obstacles arose.
Observing his determination, I turned my gaze forward once more.
The narrow path had gradually widened. I began increasing our pace accordingly.
What had been moving at a tortoise’s crawl now felt considerably faster.
At this pace, I thought we might enter Shanxi before long.
We continued onward for quite some time.
To enter the village by evening, I had to keep the group moving and minimize rest stops.
But was life determined to remind me it was never that simple?
Rumble—
Suddenly, thunder echoed across the clear sky.
Glancing upward, dark clouds were gathering.
This was no passing shower—even the wind that blew felt ominous.
“Young Master, it looks like rain is coming.”
“I can see that.”
At Jang Chuchyeong’s words, I nodded and surveyed our surroundings.
Though we still had considerable distance to the village, the ominous weather made it seem impossible to continue.
Moreover, the sun was already beginning to set.
I paused to consider.
Should I expose all these people to torrential rain and force them to sleep outdoors, or push forward a bit more to reach the village?
The answer was singular.
“We’ll move faster.”
“Yes!”
Everyone shouted in agreement at my words.
After all, no one wanted to sleep in the rain.
The procession began to accelerate even more.
Patter, patter—
The falling raindrops gradually soaked our bodies, and eventually transformed into a torrential downpour that crashed down upon us.
Whoooosh—!
The wind was fierce enough that even moving forward became difficult.
However, we were not people who had traveled the roads for merely a day or two, so we would not falter at something like this.
As each person pushed forward at greater speed, we soon managed to enter what could be called our destination village.
“Take the cargo carts and horses to the stables. Since there are many of us, secure rooms at various inns, and for those who still have nowhere to stay, use private homes. Be generous with payment so as not to cause trouble.”
“Yes!”
I shouted over the pouring rain.
I thought not everyone would hear me over the noise of the downpour, but those accustomed to such work knew what needed to be done without being told.
They quickly moved about, bringing the cargo carts to the Unryong Inn.
The spacious grounds would always be guarded by the inn’s bodyguards, so there was no possibility of anyone stealing from us.
Those who finished their tasks scattered about with quick steps.

* * *

Once I entered the inn’s annex with my companions, I was finally able to dry my soaked body and change out of my damp clothes.
After freshening up and heading downstairs to the dining hall to satisfy my hunger, I found that most of my companions had already gathered and were seated.
The food was already laid out on the table.
Everyone seemed to be waiting eagerly for my arrival, and except for Chaeseoha, no one had touched a single dish.
“Are you performing a funeral rite over the food? Eat.”
“Yes!”
Only then did people pick up their chopsticks.
Crunch, crunch—
Apparently quite famished, everyone was devouring the food ravenously, and I was about to pick up my chopsticks with an amused smile when—
Someone was standing before me, regarding me with a peculiar expression.
It was the innkeeper who managed the establishment.
“Is something the matter?”
“Ah, it’s nothing much. I simply wanted to offer a word of caution….”
“Caution?”
“Yes, there have been lawless bandits appearing in the vicinity. Several have already been killed. Therefore, I was concerned for your safety, Young Master.”
“Lawless bandits? How interesting.”
“Goodness, interesting? The problem is… there are more than just a few of them.”
I nodded while moving my chopsticks.
Enemies were creatures that appeared everywhere.
Bandits and thieves—encountering such rabble was hardly an extraordinary occurrence.
Corpses would surface, unsettling rumors would spread through the villages, and people would tremble in fear, but such disturbances inevitably faded with time.
After all, the Martial Arts Alliance existed precisely to handle such matters.
Moreover, those who dreamed of becoming righteous warriors would draw their blades and take action, so these rumors would soon settle.
“The Martial Arts Alliance will likely intervene soon. There’s no need to worry.”
“Haha, quite right. The Changryong Dan members are already conducting searches as we speak. Still, one can never be too cautious—I merely wanted to advise you to be careful in case something unexpected occurs.”
“I appreciate your concern.”
“Hahaha—of course I should. But do you know something?”
“What would that be?”
“I made inquiries about where this group originated, and it turns out they came from that massive underground prison the former Emperor constructed.”
….
“They’re escapees from that place. Even in death, that cursed Iron-Blooded Emperor continues to plague us. Truly infuriating.”
Just as I was about to bring food to my mouth with my chopsticks.
Several gazes suddenly fell upon me, and I froze mid-motion.
I glanced sideways and found Chaeseoha staring directly at me, while Jang Chuchyeong released a heavy sigh beside her.
They knew best what had transpired in that place.
I set down my chopsticks with a bitter smile.
“Are there many of them?”
“It’s unprecedented for martial criminals to roam about in such organized groups. The Changryong Dan members appear to be having considerable difficulty as well.”
Of course there would be many.
Countless numbers had escaped from beyond the Peach Blossom Paradise.
Among them were formidable masters, and no shortage of death-row inmates convicted for brutal murders.
All of them gathered together.
“They call themselves the Demon Flower Sect.”
The Demon Flower Sect.
Did they truly believe themselves to be flowers blooming in the hell that was the Peach Blossom Paradise?
Madmen.
An incredulous laugh escaped me.

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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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