The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 228

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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 228

“He’s heading to the Northern Sea?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Hmm-.”
Gwanbaek, who lay reclined in the pavilion with a long bamboo pipe in hand, closed his eyes gently as if lost in thought at the unexpected news.
The gesture of retrieving memories felt similar to Jin Cheon-u’s manner.
Then he slowly opened his eyes.
“What business takes him there?”
“Merchant expeditions, they say.”
“Heh heh, how peculiar indeed.”
None other than the son of the Jin Family of Luoyang.
Whether it be merchant expeditions or trading ventures, the clan earned their wealth through commerce, so there was nothing particularly strange about the situation—yet his movements happened to overlap with theirs.
“Could his true purpose really be merchant expeditions… or is he searching for the Binghua Yujing…”
Gwanbaek furrowed his brow.

The Binghua Yujing.

A forbidden realm nestled in the deepest reaches of the Northern Ice Palace.
That sealed door which had remained shut—he intended to open it at last by sending the children there.
Yet of all things, Jin Cheon-u’s destination was the same.
“Heh heh heh- Heaven itself guides that fellow. There is no other way he could walk the same path as us.”
“What shall we do? We could send the children now to capture him.”
The man’s voice carried considerable weight.
Already once before, he had lost the coveted object right before his eyes.
And in an unwanted manner at that.
Who could have imagined that the one who knew the power of the Gok Ok better than anyone would destroy it in such a way?
Because of this, his feelings toward Jin Cheon-u were far from favorable.
Had Gwanbaek sensed this?
Gwanbaek smiled.
“You dislike him?”
“If he obstructs us, he is an enemy.”
“Heh heh- Well spoken. Come now-.”
Gwanbaek, who had been lying down, raised his upper body and settled into position.
Then, placing the bamboo pipe between his lips, he exhaled a long stream of smoke.
The hazy smoke billowed forth, creating clouds that drifted around him.
Then, gazing toward the distant sky, he folded his fingers one by one.
It resembled the motion of counting, and with each finger that bent, the smoke that had spread like clouds swirled around him.
“Hmm- Has the Mountain Lord stirred?”
“…!”
“Heh heh, can you even capture the Mountain Lord while dealing with that child?”
“…I returned alive even from Auk’s hands.”
“Kekeke— that’s not ‘returned alive,’ is it? He let you go, didn’t he?”
“!”
At Gwanbaek’s sudden words, the man’s eyes filled with confusion, unable to comprehend.
A fierce battle had unfolded with many dead on both sides, but since the damage on their end was negligible, he had believed it was their victory—except for the fact that Gok Ok had shattered.
“I acknowledge your talent, but don’t underestimate the gap between you and Auk.”
“Isn’t he the one who couldn’t even protect Gok Ok?”
“Heh heh— do you truly believe the Priest would hand over Gok Ok to someone like Mo Yong-cheon?”
“Then it wasn’t…what did you mean?”
“The Sword Emperor was merely bait to draw us out. Auk was used to confirm that…what the Priest and Auk didn’t anticipate was probably just Gok Ok shattering.”
“….”
“No, I can’t even be certain it actually shattered.”
“I saw it turn to powder before my eyes.”
At the man’s words, Gwanbaek shook his head.
The abilities of the Divine Church’s Protectors were shrouded in secrecy.
Even if he himself were the Divine’s elder brother.
Moreover, even if it were Jin Cheon-u possessing memories of the past, I doubted he could have properly grasped Auk’s abilities.
That’s why Gwanbaek couldn’t help but harbor suspicion.
Regardless of whether Gok Ok was destroyed or not, what was lost was certain, so I had to obtain whatever lay within the Binghua Yujing at all costs.
Acting directly would be fastest and most certain, but I was already caught in the Priest’s awareness because of the Yeom Ji-hak and Chu Won incidents, so I couldn’t move recklessly.
If I revealed myself again seeking to obtain it, that bastard would appear before my eyes before I could even get my hands on Gok Ok.
I still lacked the power to reach him.
Moreover, the one who moved in this affair was none other than the Mountain Lord, Gang Cheonho.
Since he boasted overwhelming strength even among the Twelve Angles, sending subordinates to seize Gok Ok would result in considerable loss of force.
“There’s no helping it.”
Gwanbaek clicked his tongue with a displeased expression.
The situation seemed to have become complicated.
But it seemed I could turn my attention elsewhere with this opportunity.

* * *

Two days later, we finally crossed out of Shanxi and entered the great grasslands. As we advanced across the vast plains with the merchant caravan in tow, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer expanse of the landscape.
It was a complete contrast to the Central Plains, with their abundance of mountainous terrain. Even the people could scarcely tear their eyes away from the scenery.
Many looked around in every direction.
The verdant grass, wild horses, and distant hills visible on the horizon.
It was a landscape worthy of being called a living painting.
“Will it continue like this the entire way?”
“Much of it will be similar. The problem is what comes once we venture deeper.”
“The desert…”
I nodded at Chaeseoha’s question.
The plains spread before us were a sight that could be described as a feast for the eyes, but soon even such words would cease to come.
I offered a bitter smile, turned my head, and began to increase our pace. The good road conditions provided an excellent opportunity to accelerate the merchant caravan.
I could not afford to miss this.
It was a chance to make up, at least somewhat, for the time wasted dealing with Hyang Do-un and the Greenwood bandits.
Thanks to this, the merchant caravan proceeded smoothly toward our destination.
After spending a day in Hohhot, situated in the heart of the great grasslands, I released all the horses from the carts and entrusted them to the stables, then switched to camels in preparation for the desert and set out once more.
Camels would serve us better than horses when crossing the desert.
How many days passed like this?
Finally, the signs began to appear.
The verdant landscape that had surrounded us gradually began to fade, and sand flew through the blowing wind, pelting our bodies.
“Cough, cough!”
“Hack, hack!”
Some coughed at the foreign sensation entering their mouths and noses, while others cleared their throats and tried to endure it, but as conditions worsened, we soon found ourselves forced to wrap cloth over our mouths and noses.
Then it began in earnest.
“Wow…”
“Mother…”
“…We have to cross through here?”
A massive desert revealed itself before our eyes.
Shimmering—
The sandy desert before us seemed to roil like molten lava, and the barren landscape devoid of any green stretched endlessly in every direction.
Simply being exposed to the blazing sun seemed exhausting, and with the heat rising from the scorching sand, I could already feel sweat beginning to flow.
I offered a bitter smile and checked the map.
We would traverse the desert with the camels.
Since I intended to escape this place as quickly as possible, no one would complain even if we took a somewhat harsh route.
When I glanced at the people, they all seemed to be steeling themselves.
These were people who had crossed such places more than once, so they understood how difficult it would be.
Thus, they seemed to be bracing themselves and reinforcing their resolve multiple times.
However, resolve alone did not make the hardship disappear.
The merciless sun beating down relentlessly, and the heat rising with it.
Because of this, the people began to tire rapidly.
Many gasped for breath and hastily moistened their parched throats, but the problem was that even when the sun set, there was nowhere to rest.
As the sun sets, the cold arrives.
It was a chill that bordered on the depths of winter, tormenting us relentlessly.
We had to gather the firewood we’d prepared, kindle flames, and sleep while our bodies trembled—yet when morning came, the blazing sunlight became our new adversary.
“This is getting serious.”
I furrowed my brow, contemplating the ever-shifting weather.
Though we were enduring well thanks to our thorough preparations, I could see the people’s spirits and bodies growing progressively exhausted.
It wouldn’t be surprising if someone collapsed before long.
I turned my gaze toward Namgung Baek.
Recognizing my intent, he hastily consulted the map.
“If we go just a bit further, we should find a place to rest. Since you mentioned we could also gather water there, I believe it’s a suitable location.”
I nodded and quickened our pace.
I could hear the groans escaping from the lips of the weary travelers, but reaching a place to rest—even slightly faster—had become the priority.
After pushing through the relentless sunlight for another hour, a place tinged with green appeared for the first time in what had been nothing but golden sand dunes.
A small spring, accompanied by verdant grass we hadn’t seen in ages, and a few peculiar towering trees.
Seeing green in the heart of the desert was nothing short of enchanting.
“This is truly a gift from the Divine.”
“…Indeed.”
I led the caravan unhurriedly toward that oasis.
One by one, the carriages came to a halt, and people rushed forward desperately to wet their parched throats.
After the group had rested sufficiently, as the sun began to set, they resumed their efforts in earnest.
We filled enormous jars with water and used the axes we’d brought to fell wood for fuel.
Once the campfire was lit and our hunger satisfied, I could see smiles returning to the people’s faces.
Was it because the atmosphere had brightened?
I too found myself smiling naturally.
“By the way, Young Master, how much longer must we cross this desert? Is there still a long way to go?”
“Based on our location, there shouldn’t be much left. At most, another day or two.”
“Phew—thank goodness. I thought we’d have to endure this for several more days.”
Chu Hyeongi released a sigh of relief and sprawled out on the ground.
Before long, he was snoring softly in sleep, and it wasn’t just him—the surroundings grew so quiet that many others had already succumbed to slumber.
That’s how exhausted everyone was.
Just as I was about to lie down myself.
“Young Master, look over there. Look at that.”
At Chaeseoha’s voice calling out unexpectedly, I turned my gaze toward her.
Following her voice, she extended her finger slightly, pointing toward something.
“There seems to be something there.”
Peering in the direction of her fingertip, I could make out a strangely shaped stone at some distance.
It resembled the corner of a wall carved by human hands, but buried beneath the sand, the structure of any building was completely obscured.
I furrowed my brow and cautiously approached.
“Was this a place where people once lived?”
“I’m not sure? But where are you going?!”
“Isn’t that what you wanted to confirm?”
“Well, yes… but it’s too dark here.”
As she clung to my side, looking around uneasily because her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness, I found myself smiling and gradually closed the distance toward the building’s silhouette.
Just as it began to come into focus.
The ground beneath my feet suddenly gave way with the sound of something crumbling, plunging downward.
Crack—!
“…!”
As I fell into an endless abyss with an enormous cascade of sand, I instinctively pulled Chaeseoha close and surveyed my surroundings.
Was that a wall?
I drew the sword at my waist and drove it directly into the wall.
Screeeech—!
However, the descent was considerable, and though the blade tore through the wall and slowed my fall, it showed no signs of stopping.
The wall was weaker than I’d anticipated.
But it was sufficient.
I managed to avoid plummeting at a lethal speed, even if only gradually.
When I finally looked down, the ground came into view.
“Hold on tight.”
“Huh?!”
The moment the words left my lips, I launched myself downward.
Deploying my lightness technique, I descended like a feather and confirmed the space was narrow.
Like the interior of a well.
Only then did I hear Chaeseoha’s relieved breath, but the situation was far from favorable.
The sand pouring from above would soon fill this place entirely.
If we didn’t escape, being buried alive was inevitable.
I furrowed my brow and looked upward.
Climbing back up against the cascading sand was impossible.
Then there was only one option—find another way out.
I quickly scanned my surroundings and spotted something.
Wind was seeping through a gap in the wall.
It undoubtedly meant there was an opening.
I swung my sword toward that location.
Whoosh—!

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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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