The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 262

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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 262

Splurt—!
Blood erupted from the man’s chest.
Though the wound wasn’t deep, my strike had landed true enough that I could see his pupils waver slightly.
I lifted my sword smoothly and thrust forward in one fluid motion.
It was a simple thrust—no flourish to speak of—yet the man jerked his head back in alarm at the terrifying speed of my blade.
Splurt!
But was it merely a hair’s breadth difference?
His cheek was grazed, blood trickling only slightly.
I smiled faintly, about to shift the flow of my sword once more when—
Screech—!
They surged forward.
Five pale-faced men converged from all directions, closing the distance to rescue their Danju leader, each seeking an opening in my defense.
Splurt—! Splurt!
I evaded some, but others found their mark on my body.
Yet this was far from over.
The Danju man’s sword came hurtling toward me with terrifying force as he regained his balance.
Clang—!
I parried and twisted my body simultaneously.
At the same moment, I swept my elegant blade toward the converging attackers.
Intent on clearing them away in one stroke, my extended sword carried the momentum of a raging current, sweeping the area clean in an instant.
Clang clang clang—! Screech!
Some blocked it; others were cut down.
Yet the suffocatingly dense sword formation showed no signs of breaking, instead pressing forward with even greater force to constrict me.
I found myself frowning without realizing it.
The sword formation, which appeared to be crafted with meticulous care by the Gwanbaek, was far more densely woven and sharply coordinated than I had anticipated, and it refused to shatter.
If I couldn’t break through or escape this formation, I would be the one in trouble.
As I was about to swing my sword with even greater force, emanating a shimmering energy like heat waves—
The Danju man’s sword also drew forth that same shimmering aura.
Sword Steel.
As if to say: whatever you can do, I can do as well.
Two blades collided in an instant.
Clang—!
Boom—!
When Sword Steel met Sword Steel, a violent gust erupted.
Even those crowded around us couldn’t maintain their balance against such ferocity.
Thus we pushed and pulled against each other, creating a stalemate without an inch of give, yet the subordinates surrounding us refused to leave me be.
Even in this situation, the sword formation remained densely woven, and it brought me considerable disadvantage.
Shhwaaaak-!
Someone’s sword barely grazed across my back.
Had I not twisted my body, my breath could have been cut short in an instant.
Was there only one thing I could do while surrounded?
The moment I let a faint smile play at the corners of my lips.
As if sensing something, Danju’s body flew into the air.
Kwaaaang-!
The ground shattered where his feet landed, and the balance of those forming a tight sword formation crumbled. Some flew into the air following Danju, but there were quite a few who couldn’t.
I didn’t hesitate and swung my sword.
Screeeech!
The moment two men fell spraying blood, I tried to launch myself into the air, but the Danju Man’s sword curved like a serpent and flew toward my chest.
I evaded it leisurely by twisting my body.
But he pursues.
The blade transforming in an instant and flying at me is vicious.
Just as his subordinates, regaining their balance, began to form another sword formation and encircle me.
“Haaaah-!”
A fierce shout accompanied a cyan blade aura that extended outward.
Not sharp, but powerful.
If struck by that, it seemed I would be torn apart rather than merely cut.
Those startled by that force hastily retreated.
Kwaaaang-!
The blade aura Paeng Dohan unleashed missed its target and struck a boulder, but that situation actually benefited me.
Countless fragments poured down, forcing them to create distance from each other to avoid them.
I smiled again and gripped my sword.
Uuuuung-!
Energy surged forth along with a formidable cold force spreading in all directions. The dam holding back the fierce current of water collapsed helplessly, and the trapped power burst forth in an instant.
“Evade!”
The moment the Danju Man’s voice rang out without hesitation.
Kwaaaang-!
The earth trembled with an unbelievable sound.
Wind rushing madly shook the trees without restraint, and fragments scattering from the burst site embedded themselves in rocks and trees like hidden weapons.
I didn’t miss that moment.
I unleashed an even fiercer current of water.
Kwakwakwakwabang-!
Trees tilted and fell, and earth and rocks shot upward.
The gathered Baek Myeon-in men had to grit their teeth and evade, as the place where I poured out my force resembled nothing short of hell itself.
Confirming that, I quickly launched myself forward.
Looking ahead, I could see Eon Garyeo and Paeng Dohan already far ahead, and they seemed to have recognized that they couldn’t intervene in this situation, so they withdrew first to avoid becoming a burden.
I quickly closed the distance and spoke.
“From now on, you must keep your eyes forward and follow only me.”
“Ah, understood!”
Paeng Dohan nodded while casting an anxious glance behind us. Though the distance between us and our pursuers had widened, given their exceptional skill level, it wouldn’t be strange if they closed the gap at any moment.
His expression and eyes were filled with questions, yet he refrained from voicing them—the situation was simply too urgent for such distractions.
Even a tactless person would know to keep silent now.
So, what should we do now?
There were far more of them than I had anticipated.
It wouldn’t have been strange to encounter them anywhere on this mountain.
However, there was one advantage.
While I possessed a perfect understanding of Mount Taishan’s terrain, they did not. If I utilized this knowledge to reach my destination, that would be sufficient.
“Young Master Jin! Ahead!”
A sudden voice rang out as a shadow abruptly materialized before us.
One of the pale-faced men who had been combing through Mount Taishan relentlessly.
The moment his sword gleamed.
I found myself smiling without conscious thought.
Shing—!
The technique of striking after the opponent—seizing the advantage through a delayed counterattack.
My sword, drawn a heartbeat later, flew faster than his, severing his neck cleanly. Scalding blood sprayed across my body, releasing the thick, metallic scent of death.
Just like that day.
Unable to suppress the exhilaration that surged through me, my lips curled upward in a smile. But immediately, sensing another hostile presence, I poured greater force into my blade and swung it with vicious precision.
Shing—!
Before the man spewing blood even hit the ground, another grotesque shadow materialized before me in an instant, his sword already descending.
In that moment.
Whoosh—!
Eon Garyeo’s leg technique swept the enemy’s wrist, and simultaneously, her body spinning through the air, her instep crashed down against his skull.
Swift and elegant movements.
Crack!
“Ugh?!”
The man groaned and staggered back from the blow, and Paeng Dohan, seizing the opening decisively, drove his saber forward without hesitation, pressing the attack.
Startled by the heavy blade force, the man retreated half a step.
Slash!
His abdomen was grazed slightly, blood spraying.
But the wound was shallow, and more critically, Paeng Dohan had left an opening.
The man’s sword extended sharply toward my neck with blinding speed—too fast to evade. But Eon Garyeo’s foot extended once more, pressing the blade down firmly, and as if waiting for this moment, Paeng Dohan’s saber drove into the man’s abdomen again.
A flawless combination technique.
Rip—!
“Cough?!”
A final cry tore from the man’s mouth as his abdomen was torn open, and he collapsed helplessly, sprawling like discarded refuse.
“Huff, huff! Damn it… We did it!”
“Older brother! Stay focused!”
“Ah, right! I apologize. But Young Master Jin, are there really monsters like these scattered all over this mountain right now?”
“That is correct.”
“Ha ha— I’m at a loss for words, truly.”
Paeng Dohan let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
Then, taking one last look at the corpse drifting further away, he turned his gaze toward me.
Both Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo seemed to have understood something.
They would surely believe, just as Cheon Yul did, that battles with such formidable opponents had become the driving force behind my growth.
Yet I did not voice the question, keeping it locked within my heart.
For now, there was a more pressing matter at hand.
“Where are we headed? We can’t simply keep fleeing like this!”
“For now, we must hide ourselves. It seems we’ll have an easier time once we draw less attention.”
Each of the Baek Myeon-in was undoubtedly a formidable threat, but the greatest concern was dealing with Danju.
In a one-on-one confrontation, I had a chance of victory.
However, the sword formation that unfolded with Danju at its center—
If I became truly ensnared within it, escape would be difficult.
Moreover, their sword formation was synchronized with the Danju Man’s movements. The variations of the formation shifted depending on how he wielded his blade.
Knowing one pattern did not mean that same pattern would remain unchanged.
A complex, mysterious, and wondrous sword formation.
There was a reason I had seized Auk’s ankle.
Of course, it would be more accurate to say he had allowed himself to be caught.
I smiled faintly and turned my gaze away.
Though at some distance, I could sense the presence of the Danju Man approaching.
Without doubt, he was heading in this direction.
But I could not simply play around indefinitely.
“Let us go this way.”
I changed direction, looking toward a particular location.
This was Mount Taishan.
The place where my final breath had melted away.
Having desperately endured against countless Divine Cult members swarming toward me, the memories of that day remained vivid in my mind.
Thus, where they knew one thing, I knew ten—this terrain was my advantage.
With the landscape so familiar, my movements were already mapped within my mind.
***
“Disappeared?”
“Yes, he vanished without a trace.”
“Ha, this is absurd.”
Heo Baek stood motionless, surveying his surroundings while sensing the presence of those scattered about. A wry smile played at his lips.
Wider. Even wider still.
Even if they were called the Ten Sovereigns, I could confidently assert they couldn’t detect presences across such an expansive range, yet Heo Baek had sensed them without difficulty.
Yet there was nothing.
Either he had fled far enough to escape detection, or he possessed something capable of deceiving Heo Baek’s senses.
There was no other possibility.
“The more I see, the more impressed I become.”
The manner in which he shattered the sword formation, and now this situation—evading both the watchful eyes of my subordinates scattered throughout and my own perception.
Regardless of what method he employed, it was undeniably remarkable enough to warrant applause.
Perhaps he was more intimately familiar with the terrain and geography of Mount Taishan than we were.
Heo Baek narrowed his brow slightly, his thoughts turning to Gwanbaek, his master.
Those words that had sounded sharp even beneath his gentle smile.
“Heh—remember this. He survived a hell far worse than any hell you have endured.”
The light in his master’s eyes and the expression on his face remained vivid in my memory. A side he had never shown even to me, his sole disciple.
It seemed as though those two were bound by something that transcended the relationship between master and disciple.
Especially given the current situation.
My master undoubtedly knew the location of the Wuji Acupoint, yet he had only revealed Mount Taishan and said nothing more—as if telling me to find it myself.
As if urging me to compete with him.
“Interesting.”
Though Heo Baek spoke these words with an air of composure, the fierce tension gripping his clenched fists was no illusion.
He attempted to dismiss it casually, yet the persistent discomfort gnawing at him was difficult to suppress.
Still, his mind continued to work.
“Where could he have gone…”
From the look of it, he was familiar with the terrain and geography here.
Absurdly so.
Moreover, considering that the moment he saw the Heavenly Mechanism Chart, he moved through Mount Taishan just as my master would, it seemed he might even know the destination.
If so, there was only one method.
Heo Baek expanded his senses even further.
So as not to miss even the smallest detail.
Soon, a smile crept across his lips.
“Had he come alone, I would have missed him, but since he didn’t, he cannot escape.”
Yes, I sensed nothing at this moment, but I was certain I would be able to grasp the presence of either Paeng Dohan or Eon Garyeo.

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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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