The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 247
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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 247
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“How could this have happened….”
Mo Yong-cheon, who had entered the Martial Arts Alliance, sat in a chair and sighed heavily.
The situation had been flawless.
I was certain that Jin Cheon-u’s composed demeanor—as if he knew nothing—would have revealed no hint of suspicion whatsoever.
Moreover, his close associates who always accompanied him appeared no different than usual, so I judged that they had not attempted any schemes.
And by fortune, he had gone to a place suitable for death.
Though bodyguards were present, considering the elite caliber of the Moyong Family, I believed the task could be accomplished without great difficulty.
I had merely watched from a nearby position, prepared to intervene if anything unexpected occurred—yet I never imagined that Hwangbo Janghu, Paeng Dohan, and Eon Garyeo would be there.
I could not discern when or how they had arrived.
After the plan fell apart and I returned to receive reports, only then was it confirmed that Hwangbo Janghu and the two others had slipped out of the Alliance so quietly that their departure went unnoticed.
Was this Jin Cheon-u’s scheme, or had Hwangbo Janghu sought to meet him for some reason?
Given that Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo were present, the latter seemed more likely.
Within the Martial Arts Alliance, no one but those two possessed a close enough relationship with Jin Cheon-u to maintain contact.
Thinking it through this way, I could naturally understand why those two had been there.
“Hwangbo Janghu, you bastard… what scheme were you attempting?”
Crunch-!
Thus I ground my teeth, revealing a fierce fury.
The Divine’s martial arts had granted me strength, but they occasionally delivered an uncontrollable rage as well.
And so, for a moment….
As I suppressed my anger, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Perhaps this too was that bastard’s scheme.
To redirect my attention elsewhere.
If that were true, I had miscalculated.
In a situation where suspicion had solidified into near certainty, it would be impossible for me to turn my gaze away from him to anywhere else.
“I will… surely kill you, you wretch.”
Mo Yong-cheon’s eyes blazed as he clenched his fists.
As his fury intensified, a certain image surfaced in his mind.
That day, Jin Cheon-u gazing down at me with arrogant eyes.
When I first saw him, the name “Sword Emperor” and his aura had filled me with tension and pressure, but now he looked at me as if we stood as equals beside one another.
He showed no intimidation, no sense of being overwhelmed whatsoever.
Even having witnessed him kill countless people with merely a single move before my very eyes, he displayed not the slightest trace of fear.
The more I thought about it, the more my teeth ground and fury consumed my mind. If that wretch stood before me now, I might act on impulse.
“No, I cannot… regain your composure.”
This was why I had desired Gok Ok….
I had obsessed over it as something that could suppress my rage, yet having lost it before my very eyes, I became even more unable to control my emotions.
I forcibly suppressed the anger that threatened to boil over once more.
I could not afford to forget where I was or what situation I faced.
I knew better than anyone that a single careless word or mistake could determine the very survival of the Moyong Family, so I had to steel my heart further and gather my scattered thoughts.
Then.
A voice called from outside.
“Family Head, the Alliance Master summons you.”
“…Understood.”
At the sound of the voice, I rose from my seat.
A summons from Gonghuang Hye-myeong?
I disliked having to move as though I were receiving orders. Yet I understood well that this was a time to bow my head.
I had to emphasize that everything had occurred due to the actions of traitors, and that I had moved to prevent it.
Lowering my head and adopting a submissive posture.
But this too would not last long.
Once I regained the trust of the Twelve Pavilions and gained the strength that came with it, obtaining the Gok Ok that I so desperately desired would be merely a matter of time before I reclaimed everything I had lost.
* * *
The atmosphere in Zhengzhou, Henan was ominous.
Not only the warriors patrolling the streets, but even the ordinary people observing them.
The palpable mood was deeply subdued, and an eerie tension hung in the air.
It was none other than the Moyong Family that had created this atmosphere.
The Number One Sword Sect and the existence known as the Sword Emperor.
Warriors from such a place had launched an attack.
Whether they were traitors or not, they had assaulted the inner residence of the Jin Family for some reason. The problem was that all those attacked bore considerable names.
Hwangbo Janghu of the Hwangbo Family, Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo.
Even Jin Cheon-u of the Jin Family of Luoyang.
Three figures who led the righteous martial world, and the Young Master So of the Jin Family of Luoyang, called the Number One Sword Family under heaven—had even one of them been injured or killed, the repercussions would have been severe.
If those who had orchestrated this were indeed traitors of the sect as the Sword Emperor claimed, then the Moyong Family, which birthed the Number One Sword Sect and the Sword Emperor, had failed to properly manage their subordinates. But if his words were false, then the Sword Emperor had severed the necks of innocent subordinates bound by unwavering loyalty.
Because of this, those who had supported the Moyong Family held their breath and watched the situation unfold, while the opposition faction sharpened their blades to find an opening for attack.
This upheaval did not seem as though it would settle easily.
I read the atmosphere within the city and moved toward the Martial Arts Alliance.
Upon reaching the massive gate, the gatekeeper who recognized me urgently opened the doors.
“You have arrived? Everyone has been waiting.”
I nodded at the gruff man’s words and entered. The interior of the Martial Arts Alliance, which I had not visited in some time, appeared as it always did, yet the tension felt even more acute than on the streets outside.
Even the warriors passing to and fro had sharp eyes, and the atmosphere they carried was far from ordinary.
Because of this, the lower-ranked warriors and servants must be having a terrible time.
Having to work while sensing such an atmosphere.
Would it be similar to when I had captured and tortured Hong Gu-hyeon’s subordinates?
Without realizing it, I smiled bitterly as I ventured deeper inside, and finally, the great conference hall I had visited before came into view.
Even before opening the doors and entering, loud voices were already echoing from within.
There was no need to wonder who the shout was directed at.
None other than Muyong Jungcheon, the Sword Emperor.
Those who had once elevated him as the Sword Emperor and followed him now seemed to have regained their senses, their sharp voices echoing relentlessly in my ears.
Was that the reason?
The man walking ahead opened his mouth with an awkward expression.
“Young Master Jin Cheon-u of the Jin Family of Luoyang has arrived.”
The moment those words rang out, the door opened as if on cue.
In that instant, the interior of the conference hall came into view.
I could see numerous elders seated around a large table.
Some had their faces flushed crimson, while others revealed cold gazes.
Their focus was directed at none other than Muyong Jungcheon.
What made it clear that something was different from usual was his position.
He stood at the center rather than being seated.
The arrangement, which clearly demonstrated that he was being held accountable, was a situation that would certainly cause the Sword Emperor to feel shame.
Was that why his eyes were closed?
I smiled at the sight and stepped inside.
The first person I saw was Hye-myeong.
I showed proper courtesy to Hye-myeong, who regarded me with a benevolent expression and gentle eyes.
“I am Jin Cheon-u of the Jin Family of Luoyang. It is an honor to meet you again, Alliance Leader.”
“Hehehehe— This old monk feels the same. I never dreamed I would see you again so soon.”
“As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. I too never expected to return to the Martial Arts Alliance.”
I maintained my courtesy and quietly took my place beside the Sword Emperor.
Did he sense my presence?
Muyong Jungcheon’s gaze, which had been closed, turned toward me.
I could see his brow twitch slightly.
It seemed he was quite displeased by my standing so close beside him.
However, the atmosphere around us was entirely different.
Everyone wore expressions of shock, clearly because I stood so naturally beside Muyong Jungcheon, the man who might have tried to kill me.
“Ahem! I have prepared a seat for you. Come and sit.”
Hwangbo Janghu, apparently displeased with the situation, pointed to an empty spot elsewhere.
But I shook my head.
I saw no need to sit.
“I understand these seats were created for the esteemed elders of the Alliance. Therefore, I cannot claim this as my place, so it is fine.”
“Hmm— Does it not make you uncomfortable?”
“There is no cause for the Alliance Leader to worry.”
At my words, Hye-myeong smiled softly once more.
Hwangbo Janghu and those who followed him wore expressions of clear dissatisfaction, yet those who still supported the Moyong Family’s position brightened their eyes.
Perhaps they sensed that I might offer testimony favorable to Muyong Jungcheon?
I offered a small smile and looked toward Muyong Jungcheon.
Though he said nothing, I could tell everything from his gaze alone.
It must be quite irritating.
It was while I was thinking such thoughts.
Hye-myeong’s voice flowed once more.
“Then, this old monk shall ask you a few things. I heard there was a meeting with the Hwangbo Family Head that day. And I understand it was a gathering you requested—is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“For what reason?”
“To issue a warning and prevent any unforeseen troubles.”
“…Unforeseen troubles?”
Hye-myeong’s expression grew puzzled at words whose meaning eluded him.
From that alone, I could tell.
Hwangbo Janghu had not mentioned anything about the Namgung Family.
It would be burdensome to speak of unconfirmed matters. Perhaps it could even be used as ammunition against the Hwangbo Family.
I smiled faintly and met Hye-myeong’s gaze.
“Long ago, I found traces of an attack on a certain place, and it resembled the work of Moyong Sohyeop, whom I faced before. So I offered a warning to be cautious, just in case.”
“What nonsense is this?”
Just as my words were about to capture the ears of everyone in the hall, the voice of Muyong Jungcheon, the Black Emperor, erupted instead of Hye-myeong’s.
He shot me a piercing glare.
A powerful pressure descended upon me.
An unintended yet natural surge of energy.
I met his gaze directly and smiled.
“I’m simply saying what I observed. I haven’t conducted a thorough investigation, so please don’t worry. I clearly presented this with the premise that it ‘could be a misunderstanding.'”
“Then what exactly are you saying!”
“Exactly what you heard, I believe?”
“Didn’t I just ask what you meant-!”
His outburst sent a whirlwind through the hall.
A mad surge of force erupted explosively, pressing down with a power that seemed ready to crush and obliterate me.
Muyong Jungcheon’s eyes became as sharp as a blade’s edge, and his expression twisted like a demon’s visage—reminiscent of the night before.
He was furious.
Just as much as he had been then.
The fact that he couldn’t easily suppress it despite the setting suggested he couldn’t tolerate any attempt to shake the Moyong Family’s dignity, as much as Gok Ok’s.
“Can you only repeat the same words?”
“What is your intention!”
“There you go again.”
Pfft—
I held my smile and fixed my gaze directly on the enraged Moryeong Hyeok. In that instant, Muyong Jungcheon’s blazing eyes suddenly widened.
As if he had just remembered something.
His widened pupils trembled as they fixed upon me, and soon his eyes filled with a shock so profound it seemed to steal his breath.
Yes, if he had a mind, he couldn’t possibly not know.
When he had heard those words before.
Then I lifted my hand and gently brushed back my hair.
In that instant, a single snow-white jade bead adorned my wrist.
It was clearly nothing more than cheap trinket sold in the marketplace, yet it was precisely the sort of thing to stir Muyong Jungcheon’s heart.
And at the same moment.
The precariously fastened jade bead, unable to withstand the force of hair brushing past it, fell away.
Thud—crack!
Without thinking, I trampled it beneath my foot.
“Oh… my apologies. It seems it wasn’t tied properly.”
“Pay it no mind. Go on then. What is it you claim to have discovered?”
The moment Hye-myeong’s voice reached my ears and I opened my mouth to speak.
Zing—!
An alarm bell tolled in my mind, and a potent threat crystallized before me.
And in that same instant, Muyong Jungcheon’s expression twisted with fury.
A visage like that of a malevolent demon.
Simultaneously, a palm strike came sweeping down.
“The Sword Emperor—!”
Followed by Hye-myeong’s fierce cry as the Shaolin Temple’s Hundred Step Divine Fist erupted forth.
Boom—!
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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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