The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 257

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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 257

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Heo Baek, wearing a white mask, surveyed his surroundings with an unfavorable gaze.
Jin Cheon-u, who had been before his eyes moments ago, had vanished without a trace, and the evidence that should have been apparent was remarkably faint.
For someone who had spirited away a poisoned man in such a short time, it was nearly impossible to find any discernible marks at all.
His lightness technique seemed so specialized in erasing traces that I found myself unable to easily accept the situation unfolding before me.
And he was fast—remarkably so.
I wondered if his speed through lightness technique alone might exceed even that of Hao Munzhu, who had been fleeing from us.
Heo Baek laughed incredulously.
“What the Divine was concerned about has become reality.”
Gwanbaek was the one who possessed the ability to read the celestial patterns and perceive what lay ahead.
Yet there were two beings he could not read: one was his Priest, the absolute authority of the Divine Sect, and the other was Jin Cheon-u.
Even Gwanbaek, who read the celestial patterns and saw through events that would unfold in the future, could not predict these two, which had prompted his concern about potential interference.
And now, Gwanbaek’s worry had proven accurate.
“Whether it was the Sword Emperor or now… how long does he intend to obstruct our path?”
Heo Baek ground his teeth as he recalled Jin Cheon-u.
He had been kept alive merely to serve as an obstacle to the Divine Sect’s advance, but as time passed, his presence grew ever larger, until eventually he began to interfere with their plans, and now he stood directly in their way.
The man’s eyes narrowed progressively.
“Leader! There are traces here.”
Heo Baek examined what his subordinate had found.
Footprints were unmistakably imprinted there.
Extremely faint ones.
So faint that one could not discern them without careful inspection, it would inevitably take considerable time to locate them.
Carrying one person and leaving traces this subtle?
There was nothing to say but that it was extraordinary lightness technique.
Now that traces had been found, it was time to pursue.
As I turned my head toward the direction he had vanished, Heo Baek narrowed his eyes with a hollow laugh.
“Split into two groups and go separate ways.”
“The traces are pointing in this direction.”
“He’s the one who never left traces before. We cannot rule out the possibility that he left this intentionally.”
At those words, doubt flickered in everyone’s eyes.
There was only one trace, and it pointed in a clear direction.
Naturally, one’s gaze would be drawn there, but it was possible this could be a deception—something that could not be dismissed.
Jin Cheon-u certainly possessed the capability for such a thing.
“Remember this. Our objective is not to kill him. Focus on recovering the Celestial Pattern Diagram.”
“Yes!”
Heo Baek reinforced their purpose once more with emphasis.
That’s right—my target isn’t Jin Cheon-u or Hao Munzhu.
It’s the Celestial Mechanism Diagram that he possesses.
I cannot fathom why it’s necessary, but if the New Master has decreed it must be obtained, then we have no choice but to obey.
Should anyone dare obstruct us, regardless of who they are, we cannot afford to show mercy.
The moment such resolve crystallized within him.
Heo Baek’s eyes blazed with terrifying intensity.

* * *

I had succeeded in escaping pursuit by moving at breakneck speed, yet the present situation appeared far from favorable.
Hao Munzhu’s breathing, whom I carried upon my shoulders, grew increasingly faint, and her barely visible eyes were steadily losing their luster.
If I did not act immediately, her life would slip away.
I furrowed my brow and surveyed my surroundings.
There was no suitable place to conceal ourselves.
I carefully lowered her beneath a large boulder and could only watch over Hao Munzhu, whose eyes could no longer open properly.
“Ugh… save… me…”
Hao Munzhu’s voice, desperately clinging to life, pierced my ears.
Her dimming eyes, gradually fading as death crept closer, seemed to refuse to surrender her will to survive.
I gazed upon her and released a weary sigh.
“I am no physician.”
Even if Chaeseoha were here, I wondered if she could do anything—her condition was so devastatingly severe that I had no idea what could be done.
After a brief moment of anguish, I felt for her pulse.

“You must listen carefully. The Young Master’s body is extraordinary. After all, you’ve absorbed the Ink Fragrance Jade Needle.”
“Are you calling me a monster?”
“You must believe it. And naturally, you should already know this. The Ink Fragrance Jade Needle is crafted from Ink Fragrance Jade, which detoxifies Heavenly Poison. So perhaps…”

Immunity to a thousand poisons.
I hadn’t tested it myself, but considering Chaeseoha’s words, I wondered if there might be some possibility to it.
More precisely, if I could draw out the energy of the Muk Hyang Jade Needle residing within my body, perhaps I could use it as a poison antidote.
“If I leave things as they are, he’ll die anyway. This is the only method.”
Either way, death was inevitable.
The difference was merely whether he’d struggle until his final breath or succumb helplessly to the poison—and truthfully, he might have welcomed even that.
I focused intently, sensing the energy flowing through my body.
What I needed now was the energy of the Muk Hyang Jade Needle.
Finding it, hidden somewhere unknown, was no simple task. Yet I was certain it existed somewhere, so I carefully traced the flow of energy.
Then.
“…!”
I grasped a single thread.
The moment I drew it out, that single thread began pulling forth a cascade of energy.
As if it had been waiting, the energy clung and surged forward, and I carefully guided it to seep into Hao Munzhu’s meridians.
The interior of his meridians was already beyond description.
Permeated by virulent poison spreading throughout his body, it seemed nearly impossible to detoxify by ordinary means.
Even knowing this dire situation, I slowly yet deliberately channeled energy through his meridians, attempting to restore balance.
The moment the Muk Hyang Jade Needle’s energy seeped through his meridians, Hao Munzhu’s entire body began convulsing faintly.
Only briefly—the virulent poison spreading through his body thrashed as if boiling, then soon began to scatter, suppressed by the cool, refreshing energy.
The response transmitted even to my fingertips.
I held my breath and regained control of the energy’s flow.
Too fast and the poison would scatter throughout his body; too slow and it would threaten his life.
One thread, then another.
Like watering withered roots, I expelled the poison and infused my energy.
Soon, Hao Munzhu’s chest heaved greatly as air burst forth.
The black tint circling his lips faded somewhat, and his breathing gained subtle strength.
It was certainly an extraordinary experience.
After completing one full cycle, I withdrew my hand from his meridians.
“The rest seems to depend on Munzhu’s fortune.”
I had discovered that I could draw out the Muk Hyang Needle’s energy, and I had experienced how it blocked and dispersed the poison.
Moreover, thanks to this, Hao Munzhu’s complexion had recovered considerably compared to before, yet I still could not guarantee he would survive.
The rest depended on his will.
I steadied my breathing again and examined Hao Munzhu carefully.
Something protruded from within his robes.
I wondered if that was the Heavenly Mechanism Diagram that Hao Munzhu had obtained—the very thing I had felt when carrying him.
I carefully extracted it.
Judging from how it was sealed tightly in a small cylindrical case, he clearly treasured it greatly, and it seemed to have remained safe even in the violent currents.
At the same time, my chest tightened.
“….”
As I examined the bare skin briefly exposed, I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
Soon after, my attention turned toward the Heavenly Mechanism Diagram.
As I lifted the lid, a subtle fragrance of ink rose into the air.
What I carefully withdrew from within was a single sheet of paper.
The paper was aged, yet the sensation against my fingertips was strangely firm.
It seemed thin enough to flutter in the breeze, yet possessed such a peculiar texture that even a blade would fail to tear it.
Accompanying it were countless lines.
The lines inscribed in ink initially appeared chaotic and tangled, but the longer I gazed upon them, the more I discerned within them a phenomenon, a path, and an order.
This was neither a simple map nor a martial technique.
The vital energy flowing between the lines felt as though it were alive, tingling against my fingertips.
When I drew breath, there came the illusion that the energy seeped deep into my lungs, and the moment I averted my gaze, the image was already etched into my mind, impossible to erase.
This was the Heavenly Mechanism Diagram.
In the past, countless martial artists had rushed to obtain it, yet none had ever properly deciphered it, and ultimately it had been torn to shreds by human greed.
Still, the bloodshed never ceased as people sought even a single fragment.
“To think something I had no mind for while being hunted would fall into my hands so easily….”
I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.
I had heard the rumors well enough.
But there had been no time to heed such things or become distracted by fortune.
I had been pursued by Zijiao for quite some time.
Those creatures without emotion or vitality, their limbs severed yet still pursuing, their numbers beyond counting—even now the thought made me dizzy.
I clicked my tongue and examined the Heavenly Mechanism Diagram once more.
It appeared as though someone had simply drawn lines with a brush on thin paper.
I was certain that no one could discern its true nature at a glance.
One might ask what fortune could be obtained from such incomprehensibly difficult lines drawn haphazardly, yet these lines possessed rules, order, and paths.
I narrowed my brow, staring intently at it.
“This is…?”
Yes, I knew it was not merely lines.
Undoubtedly, lines indicating a location.
And with that came an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
In that moment, a single place came to mind.
“….”
Unable to determine whether what surfaced in my mind was real, I first committed the lines I had seen to memory, then rolled it up once more, placed it back in the tube, and returned it to Hao Munzhu’s possession.
For some reason, Gwanbaek sought to obtain this.
Which meant that either Gok Ok existed, or something equivalent to it.
Carrying such a dangerous object was far more perilous than keeping it locked away in my mind.
“Ugh….”
Then, with a groan, Hao Munzhu’s eyes fluttered open.
She still seemed unable to move easily, suffering from both the poison’s effects and the pain of the dagger embedded in her back, yet fortunately her consciousness had returned.
“You’ve awakened?”
“Ugh… Am I alive?”
“You still are, for now.”
At my words, Hao Munzhu offered a bitter smile.
Then, with trembling hands, she patted her bosom.
Feeling the container holding the Heavenly Mechanism Diagram, she seemed to find relief, and with a glance toward me, she struggled to push herself upright.
Yet her body refused to obey her will.
She collapsed forward again, breathing heavily.
“…I cannot… move.”
“Would the body of one who should have died remain whole?”
“Ha, that is… true. I am grateful, Young Master. This debt of yours, ugh! I shall not forget….”
“It is not yet finished.”
“…?”
At my sudden words, Hao Munzhu’s expression grew puzzled. But sensing something amiss in my demeanor, the color that had returned to her face drained away once more, and her eyes trembled.
“They come.”
Whoosh—!
Then it arrives.
The sound of someone approaching.
Rushing toward this precise location with unmistakable intent to pursue, I watched in silence and let a small smile play across my lips.
And in that instant.
A man appeared before me first, displaying graceful movements.
Sharp, piercing eyes gleamed without restraint, and he regarded me with killing intent brimming with hostility.
“Jin Cheon-u….”
“I thought we would meet again at the Northern Sea, yet here we are. You have caused me considerable trouble.”
“….”
The man said nothing.
He simply fixed his gaze upon me, maintaining his guard.
Soon after, the moment he brought his hand to his sword’s hilt.
Light suddenly flashed.
Clang—!
In an instant, a sharp, terrifying ring struck my ears, and simultaneously both he and I were driven backward by the force of our clash.
Whoosh—!
I retreated half a step, and so did he.
To any observer, it appeared evenly matched, yet while his blade trembled violently, my sword stood quiet and upright, its sharpness unmistakably evident.
The man’s eyes grew colder as he regarded me.
And as always, circumstances turned against me.
As if heaven itself were testing me.
Whoosh—!
The Baek Myeon-in, who had unfurled their lightness technique and rushed here, descended one by one to take their positions, their eyes fixed upon me.
The thick killing intent they radiated was terrifyingly cold.

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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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