The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 242

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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 242

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I slowly opened my eyes.
Cultivating my inner strength in a place of comfort for the first time in ages proved far more effective than I had anticipated. My mind had never felt clearer, and my body seemed lighter than ever before.
Even considering how long I had been held captive and forced to drink, I felt remarkably refreshed.
The moment I rose from my seat, washed myself, and changed into comfortable clothes, the door opened as if on cue, and Chu Hyeongi stepped inside.
“Young Master, your meal is ready.”
“Not today.”
“You won’t eat? But I’ve prepared everything.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry. More importantly… where is Gu Gunbaek?”
“Gu from the Imperial Guards? Well, I haven’t seen him in quite some time.”
I sighed as I watched Chu Hyeongi tilt his head in confusion.
He should have understood I meant to summon him.
I found myself staring at him with an incredulous expression for a long moment, but seeing that he genuinely didn’t comprehend, I eventually shook my head.
Then I changed the subject.
“What about Cheon Yul?”
“Well, he’s always the same. That man just follows the physician and Miss Yeon around everywhere. I have no idea how he became so strong with that personality. I trained myself to the bone, you know.”
I nodded at his grumbling tone.
Judging purely by his actions, it was certainly puzzling.
Apart from a brief sparring match, from the moment we first met until now, I had never once seen him actually training.
It was as if he lived completely separate from such things.
I had even wondered if he was cultivating through meditation instead, but no matter how much I thought about it, that didn’t seem to be the case either.
From Chu Hyeongi’s perspective, having bled and sweated through his own training, Cheon Yul’s overwhelmingly natural talent must have felt bitterly unfair.
I smiled and spoke to him.
“Watch him carefully. There’s much you can learn.”
“How to be charmed by a woman?”
“Well… there is that too, I suppose.”
“Ugh! I’m leaving!”
Displeased with my response, Chu Hyeongi turned his back. Yet even as he left, the careful way he closed the door behind him revealed his true nature as a servant.
I too left the room.
My destination was the training grounds where the Moyong Family’s warriors practiced.
Even from a distance, the sharp sound of battle cries rang out clearly.
As I began to feel the intense heat radiating from the men, sweat already seemed ready to pour down my body.
The moment I entered without hesitation, every warrior’s gaze instantly fixed upon me.
All of them wore expressions filled with reverence.
As those who walked the path of martial arts, the recent rumors about me were more than sufficient to stir such feelings within them.
Especially regarding Moyong Hyeok and the Changryong Dan—that would be even more so.
As I turned my gaze away from those admiring eyes, I could see Gu Gunbaek in the back row, wielding a wooden sword with practiced strokes.
“Guard Gu, might you spare me a moment of your time?”
“I… you mean me?”
“Yes, there is a matter I would like to ask your assistance with.”
A request from the Young Master?
His eyes widened with surprise, as if he had never considered such a possibility.
Gulp—
He swallowed hard, hastily lowering his wooden sword and rushing to a nearby basin to dampen a cloth, frantically wiping his body clean.
Then, he carelessly tossed his garments aside and dashed toward his belongings, quickly changing into fresh clothes.
It seemed he was concerned that the smell of his sweat might offend me.
Many watching Gu Gunbaek let out hollow laughs at his haste, yet he approached me with an expression of utmost seriousness.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
I smiled faintly at his spirited response, regarding him carefully.
Gu Gunbaek.
A man who once operated as a third-rate bandit before joining the Jin Family of Luoyang.
Though his skills still fell short of making him an elite warrior, he was counted among the more capable of the lower-ranked martial artists.
Moreover, his loyalty to the Jin Family that had taken him in was exceptional—during the Jin Family’s previous assault, despite the dire circumstances, he had gritted his teeth and protected us, ultimately falling in battle.
During the Shadow Assassins incident as well, he had proven quite useful.
There was only one reason I sought him out.
Because he had been a third-rate bandit, he had never gained renown in the martial world, and with little influence within the Jin Family, his presence was virtually nonexistent.
If someone were watching me, their gaze would inevitably follow those beside me—Chu Hyeongi, Chaeseoha, and Namgung Yeon and Namgung Baek. But not Gu Gunbaek.
His presence was so insignificant that no one would pay attention to whatever he did.
That was precisely what I needed.
Having settled on this reasoning, I led Gu Gunbaek into the reception hall of the separate quarters.
I could see him notice the tea and refreshments already laid out, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked at me.
“What is all this…?”
“Nothing much. I have an errand for you, but it seemed wrong to simply order you without some courtesy.”
“If you command it, I will do anything. There is no need for such treatment.”
Gu Gunbaek shook his head without taking a seat.
As a warrior receiving wages for the Jin Family’s work, he seemed to believe that any command should be obeyed without hesitation.
Observing this, I nodded and quietly handed him a note.
“Y-Young Master? What is this…?”
“Did I not say I had work for you? I cannot ask someone to labor without compensation.”
“I already receive a monthly wage.”
“This is different from that.”
At my words, Gu Gunbaek’s eyes widened slightly before he swallowed hard.
Having experienced the Shadow Assassins incident, he seemed gripped by anxiety—wondering if this might be another matter of similar gravity.
Thus, he fell silent and watched my expression carefully.
I settled into my seat and casually pulled an object closer to me.
A brush, ink, and a single sheet of paper.
As I began writing slowly, Gu Gunbaek’s expression seemed to relax slightly as he confirmed the contents from beside me.
Yet there was something rather puzzled in his gaze.
Soon, the moment I finished the final sentence.
I folded the letter neatly, sealed it, and handed it to Gu Gunbaek.
“Do you understand what needs to be done?”
“…Yes.”
“You’ll need to make contact as quickly and discreetly as possible. Can you do it?”
“Leave it to me.”
Gu Gunbaek nodded, his eyes revealing unwavering resolve. I could sense his determination to accomplish exactly what I desired, and from that alone, it was clear he would push forward relentlessly, day and night.
“Then I’m counting on you.”
As I handed over the letter and credentials with a small smile, Gu Gunbaek accepted them with trembling hands and steadied his breathing.
He had likely handled many trivial tasks before, but he had never been entrusted with something this important alone.
Then, with his head bowed, he hurried out of the reception hall.
As if he couldn’t spare even a moment to drink a cup of tea.
The reassurance I felt from his demeanor was no illusion.
At that moment, did he see Gu Gunbaek leaving the reception hall? Chu Hyeongi, who had been wearing a peculiar expression outside, poked his head through the half-open door.
“Huh? Guard Gu was just leaving—what did you have him do?”
“Nothing much. But what are you doing right now?”
“I was about to mop the Young Master’s room. I’ve neglected it for a while, and dust keeps flying around, so it’s been bothering me…”
“Forget about that. Let’s do something else instead.”
“Something else?”
At his question, I nodded.
Something I had learned before but hadn’t properly practiced since.
I intended to put it to use this time.

* * *

Late into the night.
The moon itself was obscured by clouds, and a thick darkness devoid of light descended upon the world.
Save for the red-light district, all streets lay dark and extinguished, with only torch-bearing constables patrolling the thoroughfares.
Pitch-black darkness and the distant barking of dogs.
Mingled with it all was the chirping of crickets—nothing more.
Luoyang, shrouded in darkness.
At the highest point within that sprawling city, a massive eagle-owl descended silently and came to rest.
Hoo- whoo whoo hoo- whoo whoo-
Its cry shattered the night’s silence, resonating unobstructed and echoing as if spreading across all of Luoyang. The creature continued to turn its head, scanning the surroundings as if standing guard.
Then, spreading its enormous wings wide, it soared high into the air once more.
Whoosh-!
Though it appeared as if hunting for prey, it oddly continued to circle the vicinity of Luoyang, its gaze sweeping back and forth.
As though searching for something.
One might wonder what could be sought on such a night besides sustenance, yet the creature’s movements did not cease. Soon it flew toward the vicinity of the Jin Family of Luoyang.
After circling that place several times with powerful wingbeats, it moved silently once more and began a slow descent.
As if the destination were already determined, it concealed itself within the perfect darkness, deceiving mortal eyes, and finally alighted upon the roof of an annex building.
The moment those massive wings folded.
“Did it work?”
“It seems… to have worked?”
I turned my head toward Chu Hyeongi and posed the question.
Yet Chu Hyeongi, still lacking confidence and bearing a somewhat uneasy expression, lifted his gaze toward the creature perched upon the roof.
“Is it there?”
Hoo- whoo whoo-
Chu Hyeongi asked, but the owl’s cry gave no indication of whether it was there or not.
Was that the reason?
Chu Hyeongi, who had spoken, reacted with irritation.
“Is it there or not?!”
Hoo- whoo whoo- hoo whoo whoo-!
Once more it let out a loud cry, but the owl seemed utterly indifferent, repeating the same call while fixing Chu Hyeongi with its golden eyes in a piercing stare.
Watching this, I came to understand one thing.
“Give it food.”
“Ah-!”
Only then did the creature come to his senses, hastily grasping the meat beside him in his hand. It was high-quality beef—a precious delicacy that most people would never taste.
As Chu Hyeongi tossed it high, the owl that had been staring suddenly took flight and caught it without a sound.
Then it descended back onto the roof and began pecking at the meat.
At this sight, Chu Hyeongi cried out in frustration.
“Is it there or not? I gave you expensive food, so tell me something!”
Did the creature sense Chu Hyeongi’s desperation?
The owl’s golden eyes turned toward Chu Hyeongi once more. Then, puffing its rough body up greatly, it let out a sound as if issuing a warning.
Click click click-
The sound of a beak striking the air shattered the silence of the quiet night. Though it was merely the cry of a bird, in the pitch-black darkness, that sound accompanied by a flash of golden eyes was eerily spine-chilling.
Now I understood why that creature was called the King of the Night.
“Is there someone?”
Tap tap—
“Or is there no one?”
Whoooosh—
Was it because the owl was producing distinctly different sounds?
Chu Hyeongi held his breath and turned to look at me.
From the sounds alone, I could now tell.
Someone was there.
Someone was watching the Jin Family.
Whether they were merely spying or attempting to gather information remained unclear, but one thing was certain—their intentions were far from benign.
“Young Master, it seems someone really is out there as you said. But the presence feels… I can’t sense it. Can you smell anything?”
Sniff sniff—
Chu Hyeongi flared his nostrils like a dog, trying to catch the scent carried on the wind to pinpoint the location.
However, lacking the perfection of Gu Gunbaek’s ability, he tilted his head in confusion and scratched his scalp.
It meant he had failed to discern anything.
I too had stretched my senses to their limits, attempting to detect any presence in the surroundings, but the fact that nothing caught my attention confirmed that this was undoubtedly a highly skilled expert who had concealed themselves at a considerable distance.
To find such a person?
I patted Chu Hyeongi’s shoulder.
“That’s a fine ability. If you master it well, it could prove invaluable when the moment comes.”
“Wahaha! Exactly, right? Our master wouldn’t give me something useless.”
“Indeed, you’ve done well. And this confirms one thing for certain.”
I lifted the corners of my mouth into a smirk.
Without question.
The elite forces of the Moyong Family that had vanished had entered Luoyang.
What that meant was that Mo Yong-cheon’s gaze had turned toward me.
“The Sword Emperor is about to make another catastrophic blunder.”
That would prove to be a grave mistake indeed.

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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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