The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 233

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Youngest Son of the Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 233

* * *

Gang Cheonho, who remained in the guest hall, paid no mind to the Commander’s prattle beside him.
He simply continued to recall the images of the two men.
First among them was Chu Hyeongi, who had begun to be called the Luminous Beast.
Judging merely from his solid physique and savage aura, he appeared to have some connection with Namman.
An aura similar yet different from their own.
He possessed such a thing.
Certainly, he was exceptional.
Considering his age, his level was unbelievably high, and if one thought of his future growth, it would not be strange to recruit him as an equal.
Then was it he who obstructed the Divine’s path?
No.
I could be certain of this.
It was undeniable that he was more exceptional than expected, but he was not at a level to commit such audacious acts against Auk and the Sword Emperor.
If that were the case….
“Jin Cheon-u….”
The subordinates who had observed the matter with Hyang Do-un from a distance all praised Chu Hyeongi and excluded Jin Cheon-u, but Gang Cheonho’s thoughts differed.
It was him.
The way he calmly received the faintly released Fierce Tiger Momentum, and how he spoke without the slightest wavering even with himself before his eyes.
The one Auk had been searching for was undoubtedly Jin Cheon-u.
“Listen here! Are you hearing me?”
“Hm?”
In that instant, a rough voice shattered Gang Cheonho’s reverie. As his eyes, like those of a Mountain Lord, turned toward the one who had spoken, he saw the Commander’s face flushed crimson with rage.
“I asked if you were listening!”
“Ah—I hear you now. Really, stop shouting. My ears are killing me.”
“What did you—Kkeuurgh?!”
Before the Commander could even voice his fury, Gang Cheonho’s hand had already extended, seizing his throat.
Then—
Crack!
As his spine shattered without hesitation, the Commander’s struggling body went limp like a puppet.
Confirming this, Gang Cheonho rose from his seat and turned his head.
“Where are the men?”
“They are all gathered, sir.”
“Good? I will now open the Binghua Yujing, so you clean up here. The path will be noisy enough, and it will get worse when I open the door.”
—Understood, sir!
Whoosh!
As ten figures vanished like the wind, Gang Cheonho stretched languidly, rotating his neck left and right as he began to move slowly.
“Where could he be?”

* * *

The vast palace complex contained countless chambers within its walls.
With enough space to accommodate all those who had arrived for the gathering, several people were crowded into each spacious room, and at the entrance stood Imperial Guards alongside Chu Hyeongi, Namgung Yeon, and Cheon Yul.
Though their expressions appeared tense, as if preparing for something imminent, now was not the time to ease their anxieties.
Even Chu Hyeongi seemed somewhat on edge, swallowing hard before approaching me cautiously.
“Will it really happen?”
“Yes. It may already be unfolding.”
“Ugh— this is the legendary Northern Ice Palace we’re talking about.”
“A Northern Ice Palace in its twilight.”
Chu Hyeongi still gazed toward the main palace, unable to believe my words, as if the very silence contradicted my claim.
The profound quietness made it impossible to accept that something was actually occurring.
“As I said, hold your position and stand guard. If you disappear, there will be considerable casualties. Rather, everyone will perish.”
“…What about the people of the palace? Shouldn’t we warn them?”
“This is the Northern Ice Palace. They won’t fall easily, so don’t worry. Besides, I’ll go myself.”
I turned away from Chu Hyeongi’s ominous gaze.
Within the grand chamber.
It unmistakably bore the impression of preparations made for an honored guest.
Not only lavish furnishings, but abundant wine and delicacies as well.
I approached the table laden with food and placed a piece of fruit in my mouth. Then I grasped a wine bottle nearby and secured it to my waist with a cord.
“What are you doing with that?”
“You said we’d share a drink.”
At my casual remark, Chu Hyeongi’s expression turned blank, as if he hadn’t expected me to take it literally.
I smiled faintly and turned my gaze away when—
Crash!
A tremendous sound erupted from somewhere, and the main palace shook violently.
Simultaneously, a wall shattered, and several men tumbled outward, bleeding profusely.
“It’s begun.”
“Gasp! It’s really happening!”
“Hold your position firmly. They’ll pour in here soon—it will be quite fierce.”
At my words, Chu Hyeongi hurried from the chamber.
Following him outside, I noticed the expressions of Namgung Yeon, Chaeseoha, and Cheon Yul were grave.
They too had sensed it.
An extraordinary aura suddenly enveloped the surroundings like a suffocating siege.
Among them, one particularly formidable presence—though not physically visible—caused flesh to tremble from its sheer intensity.
I looked toward Cheon Yul.
“Soocheonchu must be directing this place. I don’t believe the one meant to lead Sa Do-cheon would be incapable of this much… what are your thoughts?”
“Ha— leave it to me. I’d prefer to charge in alongside you, if I’m being honest.”
“Please wait.”
I tapped Cheon Yul’s shoulder lightly and moved forward.
Not far ahead, I sensed a presence approaching the auxiliary palace—a sinister aura that could not belong to the warriors of the Northern Ice Palace.
Narrowing my brow slightly, the moment I closed the distance with certainty.
Whoosh—!
Figures that easily leaped over a dozen men revealed themselves.
Unmistakably, Hojak Warriors.
Revealing the savage nature of beasts without equal, they rushed toward me.
I swung my sword toward the extended claws of the beast.
Clang—!
The force felt through the blade’s edge was heavy and sharp.
Unlike the sword Nam Tae-cheon had displayed, this revealed a level that was decidedly respectable.
Clang, clang, clang—!
I blocked the countless claws that came flying.
The relentless barrage of attacks with not even the smallest gap was the kind that could not be easily evaded nor blocked without difficulty.
Of course, if there is no gap, one simply creates one.
I extended my sword.
Clang—!
I forcefully deflected and pushed back someone’s blade, seizing the gap that appeared in that instant.
Slash!
The moment I cut down one and he fell, the formation crumbled.
I did not miss the gap that opened again.
Like moonlight streaking through the air, the blade gleamed with pale radiance.
Slash, slash, slash—!
I could not see who was cut where or how they fell.
I simply swung my sword and severed my enemies.
Moving instinctively, engaging them and cutting off their breath as if that had always been my true purpose.
Thud, thud—!
Those who rushed at me collapsed and scattered, yet I made no effort to take in their forms.
I moved forward.
Toward where I sensed a powerful presence.
The moment I left the auxiliary building and entered the main palace.
I furrowed my brow without realizing it.
Countless corpses entered my vision.
There were innumerable who could not even mount a proper defense, and traces of those who had resisted yet could not match their opponent were visible everywhere.
Though the Northern Ice Palace was certainly declining, considering its status as a power under heaven, it had collapsed far too easily, leaving me bewildered.
It was entirely different from Namman.
I had thought of the fierce battle where I had blocked the attacks of Yeom Ji-hak and Chu Won, so I had believed they would hold out to some degree—a completely mistaken judgment.
Etching that sight into my mind, I moved slowly.
In that instant, I sensed a presence.
As I grasped the sword and turned my gaze, my eyes fell upon a woman trembling as she stared at me from a distance away.
Shiver—
Her lips quivered.
Was it the corpses scattered in all directions?
As I furrowed my brow with that thought, the woman drew her blade and closed the distance between us at a frenzied pace.
Clang—
Screech—!
The moment I blocked her strike, I felt an intense, biting cold.
As I retreated slightly, feeling a chill that threatened to freeze me to the bone, the woman swung her sword relentlessly, as if unwilling to let me escape.
Clang, clang-clang-clang—!
“How dare you—! How dare you!”
The woman’s voice, filled with fury, rang out loudly.
Her cold expression twisted with rage, and her upturned eyes burned like flames, utterly at odds with the Northern Ice Palace, radiating intense heat.
She wielded an exceptionally superior sword.
It would not be strange to say that the very essence of the Northern Ice Palace was contained within it, and the biting cold that surged forth with each clash of blades was formidable.
With each step I took, the ground beneath her feet froze solid, and soon the entire surrounding floor was covered in ice, slippery and treacherous.
As a result, I began to be pushed back gradually.
Clang—
Whoosh—!
Unlike the woman, who moved across the ice without hesitation, I was forced backward and could not execute proper footwork.
Was this the martial art of the Ice Palace?
I could not help but be impressed.
Moreover, the woman’s level was so exceptional that it would not be strange to compare her to Cheon Yul, and I sensed that a single moment of carelessness could prove costly.
But.
Crack—!
I planted my foot firmly and closed the distance with my blade.
In that instant, a powerful sword aura enveloped my entire blade, and the unleashed energy immediately overwhelmed the woman.
Startled by the sudden turn, the woman’s eyes widened.
Unlike before, she struggled to retreat, but I was not merciful enough to let her escape so easily.
I swung my sword without hesitation.
Boom—!
The ice shattered, and a fierce sword aura shot forth.
It extended in a straight line as if it would cleave her body in two, but it passed by her by the thinnest margin and cut down someone else instead.
Squelch—!
“Gack!”
“Ugh!”
A presence that had been stealthily approaching us amid our fierce battle.
Hojak Warriors.
Without even properly comprehending that their body had been severed, they let out a final groan before being split in half, spraying blood.
“…!”
The unknown woman’s eyes widened in astonishment as she watched my movements.
She seemed startled by how effortlessly I cut down those she had considered allies, yet her gaze remained fixed upon me with an unwavering wariness that refused to yield.
“Are you affiliated with the Northern Ice Palace? There seems to be some misunderstanding. I am Cheon-u of the Jin Family.”
“The Jin Family of Luoyang….”
As she spoke the name of my family, her expression grew peculiar. Merely by observing how she seemed to compare my features with someone else’s, I could understand her meaning at once.
“You bear little resemblance to Myeong-i. Then again, we share different mothers.”
Among my siblings, only my sister truly resembled me. The rest of my brothers, while vaguely similar to one another, carried an entirely different essence.
The woman nodded as if accepting this explanation.
“…That appears to be the case.”
“Yet you haven’t lowered your sword. Do you intend to continue our confrontation?”
She had accepted my words, but her guard remained unbroken.
It seemed she could not discern whether my words were truth or deception, causing her considerable internal conflict as she hesitated to sheathe her blade.
It was understandable that she would question how a member of the Jin Family had cultivated martial arts of such caliber.
Just as I was about to mention Cheon Yul’s name—a key that might dispel her suspicions—
Kwaaaaaang-!
A deafening collision echoed from somewhere, causing the entire palace to shudder violently.
Had she identified the location of that sound?
The woman’s expression shifted to one of alarm as she spun around and launched herself forward with all her might, her feet tearing at the ground.
I too propelled my body forward, following in her wake.
Then I posed a question.
“Do you know where that sound came from?”
“…The Yaobing Tian Lu.”
Though I could not discern precisely what that place was, merely from the urgency etched upon her face, I sensed it must be among the most vital locations within the Northern Ice Palace.
Moreover, considering where Gang Cheonho intended to go, the answer became clear.
The passage leading into the Binghua Yujing.
I suspected the sounds were emanating from that very place.
Crash crash— Boom boom boom crash—!
The sounds grew increasingly violent.
As if the Gung-ju and the Northern Ice Palace’s mightiest experts were expending every ounce of their power to obstruct Gang Cheonho’s path.
“We must hurry.”
“….”
The woman offered no response, but accelerated her pace further.
Yet our passage would not prove as smooth as anticipated.
Whoosh whoosh—!
The Hojak Warriors had converged upon us from all directions.
Displaying formidable momentum as if to prevent any interference with Gang Cheonho, they drew their blades.
I exhaled slowly upon witnessing this.
Then, drawing my sword with deliberate calm, I summoned forth a sword aura that shimmered like heat haze.
“…!?”
Astonishment flooded the woman’s eyes once more at the sight, yet she merely offered a faint smile before launching herself forward with even greater ferocity, her feet striking the ground with renewed intensity.
Screeeech—!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————