The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 238

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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 238

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The village where the Northern Ice Palace stood was in disarray.
The Ice Palace, called the absolute ruler of the Northern Sea, had been attacked. The death of its master was a shock no one could escape.
Of the hundreds who had gathered at the Ice Palace, fewer than half survived—utterly devastated and trampled.
This meant only one thing.
The collapse of the Northern Ice Palace.
Those who had taken pride in the Ice Palace could not hide their despair, and the wails of those who had lost family echoed ceaselessly for three days and nights.
Another week passed in this manner.
Though one might feel suffocated by the stretching time, we within the auxiliary palace remained busy tending to the survivors.
Those with serious wounds showed rapid recovery thanks to Chaeseoha’s care, while those with minor injuries patrolled the palace grounds to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
I confirmed these matters and entered a room, turning my attention inward.
Inside a large chamber within the auxiliary palace.
I gazed at the woman lying quietly for a long moment before exhaling a sigh.
A woman who had not opened her eyes for over two weeks now.
Though Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon took turns caring for her, she could not eat or drink properly, so she grew thinner with each passing day—there was nothing to be done about it.
I stared at her for a moment, then opened my mouth.
“How much longer will you deny reality?”
“….”
“If you don’t open your eyes soon, there’s nothing we can do.”
Twitch—
At my words, the woman’s body, which had not stirred at all, moved.
Yes, she had already regained consciousness yesterday.
It was not as if Chaeseoha and I didn’t know this.
But because she could not bring herself to accept the situation unfolding before her eyes, she kept them closed and averted her gaze, refusing to look directly.
The problem was on my end.
We had to return to the So Family as soon as possible, so I could not indulge her stubbornness any longer.
“Rise and face reality squarely. Do what must be done. The warriors of the Ice Palace await only your awakening.”
“….”
I saw her eyes tremble. Knowing that opening them meant facing reality, she hesitated even at that moment.
I watched silently, then spoke again with a crooked expression.
“You’ve chosen the wrong person to be petulant with. We depart tomorrow, Junior Prince. And as you know, without the palace master’s seal, the merchant will simply take back the goods we brought. Can you endure that?”
In an instant, the woman’s eyes opened.
Simultaneously, her gaze pierced me with considerable sharpness.
Having lost her father and those like family, unable to compose herself in such circumstances, she appeared angered by my mention of the merchant.
But I am a merchant.
Merchants are inherently cold to matters that yield no profit.
No matter how long the Northern Sea and I have maintained our relationship, it was only possible because it proved beneficial—not out of any desire to serve.
“The Young Master of the Jin Family could not possibly understand my heart at this moment.”
“I understand it well. However, I have no intention of consoling you. Denying reality does not bring the dead back to life.”
“It is not denial of reality….”
“I see. If I were in the Junior Prince’s position… I would first regain my composure, accept the situation, and sharpen my blade. Then I would turn it toward those bastards. Is that not the way of a warrior?”
I saw the woman’s eyes tremble at my words. She knew the truth herself, yet her turbulent heart remained unsettled, leaving her paralyzed and unable to act.
At the sight of her, I smiled faintly.
Then, I turned lightly and left the room.
“If you are the Junior Prince, then fulfill the Junior Prince’s role.”
“….”
I did not dwell on the silence that followed. As I stepped outside with light footsteps, I saw Chaeseoha watching me with concern.
“She has awakened.”
“That is fortunate. I was quite worried about what we should do.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I made her face reality. And we leave tomorrow, so pack your things.”
“…We are leaving just like this?”
“Have not all these people occupied the Binggung’s food and rooms for nearly half a month? We are no longer guests—we have become unwelcome visitors.”
The situation is regrettable, but I have done all that can be done.
What remains must be handled by the Junior Prince herself.
That is the responsibility of one who sits in the highest seat.
Perhaps sensing this resolve, Chaeseoha nodded without further words.
Jang Chuchyeong and Namgung Yeon, who had gathered nearby, also began moving hastily to pack their belongings, and Namgung Baek, having gauged the mood, summoned the Imperial Guards and porters.
Thanks to this, the atmosphere shifted slightly.
At the thought of returning home, the people of the Jin Family revealed bright eyes, and the warriors of the Binggung, perhaps because those who had cared for them were leaving, showed anxious expressions and gazes.
With no way of knowing when another attack might come and the Junior Prince herself still bedridden, we had been their only support.
It is regrettable, but I can offer no more aid.
As I was thinking such thoughts.
Suddenly, the door opened and the Junior Prince appeared.
“Junior Prince!”
“Are you alright!?”
The moment I saw her face, the people of the Binggung rose from their seats and rushed toward her. They clearly understood who had suffered the greatest wound in this place.
Though they themselves must have brushed against death, such thoughts seemed absent from their minds.
At their gaze and attention, the Junior Prince smiled softly. She deliberately nodded with composure, dismissed the people, and stood before me, looking directly at me as she spoke.
“…I will handle matters in place of the Palace Master. But before that, let us reconsider the conditions. Come with me.”

* * *

The reception hall of the Bing Palace Master.
I sat across from the Junior Prince in that place.
She scrutinized the list I had handed over with piercing intensity, doing her utmost to find any flaw that might tilt the transaction in the Binggung’s favor.
Naturally, it was futile.
After all, my Father had drafted this document, and she was a warrior, not a merchant.
No matter how sharp her mind might be, she could not uncover flaws in a document deliberately crafted by my Father.
Perhaps that was why even the Bing Palace Master had not persisted.
The Junior Prince continued to alternate her gaze between the document and me, verifying each detail, yet finding nothing to contest, she appeared considerably troubled.
“What exactly are you hoping to accomplish?”
“…Obviously, I’m checking whether there’s any way to receive more.”
Watching her speak her thoughts so openly, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Yet the Binggung’s finances had been depleted, and with considerable expenses ahead to repair and restore what had been damaged, she seemed determined to extract whatever advantage possible from the transaction with the Jin Family.
The Bing Palace Master had even agreed to provide medicinal herbs readily for this reason.
However, that had been discussed verbally and was not written down.
Watching the Junior Prince, unaware of such circumstances, I smiled faintly.
“There is indeed a way to receive more value.”
“What might that be?”
“Provide an Ice Soul Stone.”
“…!”
I presented the proposal in the same manner I had with the Bing Palace Master.
The Bing Palace Master had firmly refused at the time, but the Junior Prince could not possibly know that, and circumstances had shifted dramatically in her disfavor.
The Junior Prince’s lips moved silently as she fell into contemplation, and watching her, I became certain of one thing.
It had worked.
While the value of an Ice Soul Stone was undeniably considerable, considering the expenses required to rebuild the Binggung going forward, immediate funds were desperately needed.
She could not refuse.
“…One would be possible.”
“That will suffice.”
“May I ask what you intend to use it for?”
I nodded and lifted the sword case.
The moment she caught sight of the sword within, her eyes widened in surprise.
Anyone from the Binggung would surely recognize such iron.
“Ice Soul Black Iron….”
“You are well-informed.”
“….”
In that instant, I saw the Junior Prince’s fists clench tightly.
From that reaction alone, I could gauge the worth of this iron. According to Chung-mu of the Demonic Cult, the Binggung itself might possess only one or two blades of this material.
Even when I saw the Palace Master, she did not possess one, and considering that the Junior Prince herself did not have one, I wondered if financial ruin had forced them to sell it.
Her expression suggested exactly that.
After gazing at the sword for some time, she finally closed her eyes, then nodded with a small sigh.
“Very well. I shall provide it. However, the Ice Soul Stone in the Binggung’s possession….”
“The goods we sell are thirty percent cheaper. We’ll appraise the items you’re offering at forty percent above market value, and let’s calculate the Ice Soul Stone separately. If it’s acceptable, I’d like to receive the Ten Thousand Cold Snow Grass as well?”
“That’s not difficult at all.”
At the Junior Prince’s approval, I smiled.
It felt like I was conducting a new transaction, but nothing had changed. Just as I’d agreed with the Palace Master, everything was clean without losing anything.
Only the Ice Soul Stone had been added to it.
We wrote the terms on paper as promised and completed the agreement, finishing the matter by affixing my seal and the Palace Master’s seal to the document.
I placed the documents in my robes and sat for a moment when she stood and left the room toward somewhere.
After a considerable wait came to an end, the Junior Prince returned carrying a small wooden box.
“I sincerely hope this will be of help to your endeavors.”
“Thank you.”
I accepted the wooden box containing the Ice Soul Stone and rose from my seat.
In the moment I turned my back to leave.
“May I ask one thing?”
“Yes, if there’s something you wish to ask, anything is fine.”
“…That man—who is he? It seemed like you two knew each other.”
Whether recalling Gang Cheonho or not, the Junior Prince’s eyes grew sharp.
The fury that gleamed in her eyes, like blazing karma fire, showed no sign of easily subsiding before his throat was cut.
Seeing that, I offered a bitter smile.
“Gang Cheonho.”
“Gang… Cheonho.”
“I’ve told you his name, but there is one thing you must remember.”
“…What is it?”
“Do not become a moth consumed by vengeance.”
At my words, the Junior Prince gazed at me in silence.
Those people are not easy opponents.
If you merely swing your sword with revenge in mind, you will surely become a moth and disappear.
She may not know it, but considering that it was merely one Tiger’s Horn that instantly shattered the entire military might of the Bing Palace, all the more so.
I offered a slight smile and bowed once more.

* * *

Returning to my quarters, the first thing I did was check on the Ice Soul Stone.
As I set it on the table and opened the wooden box, I felt an intense chill flowing out from within.
While not as formidable as the ten thousand years of ice jade, I couldn’t help but think that for those who hadn’t properly cultivated martial arts, their hands would freeze the moment they made contact.
“So this is the Ice Soul Stone….”
Wasn’t this what they used when creating warriors of the Northern Ice Palace?
Considering that by obtaining this, one could confine the frigid energy within their body, it was truly an incomprehensible treasure.
Of course, it would require the support of the Binggung’s core techniques.
The beautiful and frigid martial arts that the woman had displayed flickered before my eyes.
Without realizing it, I shook my head and let out a faint smile.
Soon after, as I gently reached out and touched the Ice Soul Stone.
“…!”
A biting chill surged up through my palm.
As if it were trying to freeze me solid.
From that alone, I could definitively say that without protecting my hand using inner energy, I wouldn’t even be able to grasp the Ice Soul Stone.
Moreover, the energy was stronger than what the Bing Palace Master had mentioned.
Whether it was because the Binghua Yujing had opened, or whether the Junior Prince brought something with potent energy as a way of expressing gratitude in his own manner, I couldn’t say—but it exceeded my expectations.
I drew my sword with a smile playing at my lips.
“So I’m supposed to infuse the Ice Soul Stone into the sword…, right?”
As I repeated those words, I understood.
What I needed to do.
In an instant, I extended my sword and cleaved through the Ice Soul Stone.
Crack—!

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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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