The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 27

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Youngest Son of the Nakhyang Jin Family – Chapter 88

* * *

Despite the late hour, the Imperial Palace blazed with light as if it were midday.
Countless figures gathered about, illuminating the surroundings so brilliantly that one could not distinguish whether it was day or night.
At the center of it all sat one man, utterly composed.
The Crown Prince.
Though not yet formally enthroned, he had already ascended to the Emperor’s seat in all but name, and now gazed ahead with an expression of mild boredom.
“Aaaahhhhh—!”
“Aaahhh!”
Anguished cries echoed from every direction, assaulting the ears.
Those drenched in blood now bore such a pitiful appearance that one could no longer discern who was who.
Among them were surely those who had wielded power by leveraging the former Emperor, as well as those who had merely done their duty as administrators.
Yet none of this concerned me.
I had resolved to see this through to the end.
To solidify my foundation completely, I had to root out every threat, regardless of who they were.
Having observed this spectacle for hours now, my gaze drifted toward one figure in particular.
A man trembling violently, blood streaming from his body.
It was Jin Baek-ryong.
He cried out for mercy, promising to reveal everything, yet his voice never reached my ears.
Instead, I found myself thinking of another and laughed.
“So that Jin Cheon-u is the bloodline of such a man?”
“You speak of Jin Cheon-u, Your Highness?”
“Yes. When I commanded him to raise his head, he met my gaze directly without a shred of fear. I was tempted to tear out his liver. Haha.”
“He seems to have pleased you, Your Highness.”
I did not answer, merely continuing to smile.
The image of Jin Cheon-u still flickered before my eyes.
In truth, I had wanted to see him before Jin Baek-ryong precisely so that if he displeased me in any way, I could have his head first.
After all, the head of the Young Master So would carry far more weight than that of Jin Baek-ryong, the overseer of Beijing, in maintaining an Emperor’s dignity, would it not?
Yet I had not done so.
His confident bearing and expression.
His gaze and presence.
They resembled what I saw when I looked upon myself.
That was one reason I found him intriguing.
Moreover, in that very situation, the way he accepted responsibility without evasion, yet ultimately secured his family’s interests—it was so absurd I could only laugh bitterly.
Though my station as Crown Prince had afforded me the opportunity to meet many, I had never encountered one so audacious.
Having pondered this far, I wiped the smile from my face and cast the thoughts aside.
“But what of the matter at hand?”
“If you’re referring to that physician… we haven’t found him yet.”
“Haven’t found him? You mean you haven’t even discovered a trace?”
“That is correct.”
At Chungho’s words, the Crown Prince’s brow furrowed.
All those who had guarded the Emperor in Dowon Village lay dead. Yet the corpse of one man was nowhere to be found—the physician who had healed the Emperor.
There was no trace of where he had vanished.
I had intended to tear that man limb from limb as payment for ruining my plan to quietly dispose of the Emperor, and my frustration mounted at being unable to do so.
Then, suddenly, a figure came to mind.
“Perhaps… he may be connected to that man.”
“The one who revealed Dowon Village to us?”
“Exactly. His true objective may have been that physician from the beginning. It’s possible the commotion that erupted when we entered was orchestrated by him to make the task easier.”
“….”
With those words, Chungho’s complexion grew increasingly rigid.
The implication was clear—from start to finish, the future Emperor had been dancing in that man’s palm.
Sure enough, I could see the Crown Prince’s eyes blazing with fury as he stared at me.
“He must be a martial artist. Find him.”
*Snap*
“Understood.”

* * *

Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Jin Cheon-u surveyed the Unryong Inn, now devoid of guests, and let out a bitter smile at the eerie silence that seemed so out of place.
This space, which had always been filled with people and bustling noise, now felt unfamiliar without the usual clamor.
It wasn’t just the inn that suffered.
The trading houses, escort agencies, and pawn shops in Beijing—all of them.
With everyone arrested and imprisoned, there could be no business.
Moreover, Jin Baek-ryong himself was entangled in this Crown Prince’s rebellion.
The rumors had spread so rapidly that it seemed the Beijing operations would struggle to recover even if they reopened.
Time would be needed.
But it wasn’t something to view negatively.
Even if those imprisoned were released, they were Jin Baek-ryong’s people, and I had no intention of putting them back to work.
During the period of recovery, I would simply recruit new personnel to send—in fact, this situation was more advantageous for the Nakhyang Jin Family.
“This works out well.”
I nodded and stood before a certain room.
None other than the space where my uncle Jin Baek-ryong had stayed.
Opening the door and stepping inside, I could see rare and precious items displayed throughout.
Most were valuable enough to fetch considerable sums.
They appeared to be acquisitions from Dowon Village.
Paying them no further mind, I began opening drawers one by one.
The room contained many seemingly valuable items, yet I searched for something entirely different.
I thoroughly checked the drawers to their end, and finding nothing there, I began examining beneath the bed, the floor, and even the walls.
After some time had passed, I removed a painting and revealed an ordinary wall beneath it.
One.
Thump, thump—
When I knocked, the sound of an empty space echoed back.
There was undoubtedly some mechanism somewhere that could open this.
Of course, I didn’t bother searching for it.
I simply clenched my fist and swung.
Boom—!
The wall shattered, revealing a hidden space.
About a dozen promissory notes hidden in preparation for potential contingencies came into view, along with several books and letters.
I pocketed the notes and pulled out the books.
As I brushed away the dust, I read through them page by page.
They were ledgers showing where Jin Baek-ryong’s money had flowed.
Most of the entries in the ledger were connected to powerful figures.
But that wasn’t what I was focusing on.
Bribes were something even my father gave and received.
What mattered was the connection to the former Emperor.
And the letters.
The correspondence exchanged with those closely related to the former Emperor, including the deceased Ga Inhoo, clearly revealed an intention to swallow up the Nakhyang Jin Family.
This seemed sufficient to expose Jin Baek-ryong’s crimes.
Though the elders rarely intervened in other matters, they would oppose severing bloodline without clear justification.
I collected those items and left.
Then, walking along the path, I surveyed my surroundings.
Despite the late hour, I spotted quite a few people. Most were Golden Armored Guards patrolling the Beijing streets, and the way they looked around with cold eyes suggested they would draw their blades the moment I stepped out of sight.
Their purpose was simple.
First was maintaining order in the chaotic Beijing, and second was finding the missing Chaeseoha.
There were likely other objectives as well.
Such as hunting down the former Emperor’s associates who had fled?
I smiled faintly and turned my steps toward the inn where my companions waited.
“You bastard, you came at the right time!”
Gu Gunbaek came thundering down the stairs.
His expression was fierce and his eyes were sharp.
Just looking at his clenched fists showed how angry he was.
Moreover, the anxious expressions on Chaeseoha and Jang Chuchyeong’s faces beside him suggested they wouldn’t be easily calmed.
I looked at Gu Gunbaek with a puzzled expression.
“What’s the matter?”
“What?! What’s the matter? You knew you wouldn’t get paid and handed it over to me?”
“Ha, I wondered why you were so angry, but was it just this?”
“Just that? You dare mock me!”
“Wasn’t there an opportunity for you to accept it, Elder?”
“What…?”
“Moreover, you said that if I obtained it, it would be yours. But you never said I was certain to obtain it. Wasn’t the decision yours to make?”
Gu Gunbaek stared at me with an expression of disbelief.
If he thought back through each memory carefully, he would realize there was nothing wrong with my words.
From the beginning, I had given him the condition of “if I obtained it.”
Considering the high interest rate, I was confident he wouldn’t accept immediately, but there had been an opportunity nonetheless, and it was Gu Gunbaek himself who had rejected it.
It was strange for him to be angry in the first place.
Watching Gu Gunbaek stammer without finding words, I casually approached him and pulled something from my robes.
“Ah, a gift.”
“…A gift?”
At the sudden turn of events, Gu Gunbaek’s eyes widened in surprise.
And the moment he recognized the object, not only his eyes but those of everyone nearby grew round.
What I had presented was none other than a Summoning Pill.
“You… surely you didn’t intend to give this to me from the start…?”
“Isn’t it perfect for restoring your health? You’ve worked hard all this time, so you should take something of this caliber.”
Gu Gunbaek’s mouth fell open, and he was left speechless.
Just moments before, he had glared as though ready to kill, but now neither his gaze nor his intensity could be felt.
Instead, his eyes glistened with emotion.
Confirming this, I turned my head to look at Jang Chuchyeong.
“Pack your things and go sell the carriage we came in. Get a new one—something large and fine. The one we rode last time was far too cramped.”
“Are we leaving now?”
“Yes, there’s no point in staying longer. On the way back… there are some places I’d like to visit.”
“Understood!”
Jang Chuchyeong nodded readily and hurried toward his room, soon to be busily packing his belongings and arranging for a new carriage.
“Ahem! Since we’re heading back, I should gather my things too.”
Meanwhile, Gu Gunbaek, who had been venting his anger moments before, carefully tucked the Summoning Pill into his robes and followed Jang Chuchyeong with an awkward expression.
The spring in his step as he climbed the stairs was unmistakably evident.
Heh—
A laugh escaped me unbidden.
Turning my head, I saw Chaeseoha, still wearing her veil, eyeing me with suspicion.
“What is it?”
“Did you really buy that Summoning Pill intending to give it to the Elder?”
“Yes.”
She let out a hollow laugh, as though exasperated by my answer.
She of all people should have known.
The man called the Demon King, one who approached the pinnacle of martial prowess, was none other than Gu Gunbaek.
What significance could a Summoning Pill possibly hold for such a person?
It would provide neither inner strength worth mentioning nor even proper physical restoration.
I possess a body that surpasses its efficacy.
Then where will you use that summoning pill?
I intend to use it on Chu Hyeongi.
Though he was born with divine power and possesses considerable strength, his internal cultivation remains woefully insufficient. If I can obtain the summoning pill, I can resolve his chronic deficiency in inner force.
Is that all?
With the Demon King at his side, if fortune favors him, he might even experience a complete rebirth of body and soul. Even if not, he will become a vessel capable of properly receiving the martial arts teachings of Gu Gunbaek.
“You certainly know how to give yourself good fortune, Young Master.”
“Why does it work out that way?”
“Because Chu Hyeongi is your attendant, Young Master.”
Chaeseoha looked at me with an expression of exasperation and clicked her tongue.
By giving the summoning pill to Gu Gunbaek, I had soothed his mood, and as a bonus, I could elevate both Chu Hyeongi’s deficient inner force and martial prowess. Two birds with one stone.
Without realizing it, I smiled and shrugged my shoulders innocently.
“I fail to see the meaning.”
“You truly are a shameless Young Master.”
“Stop spouting nonsense and go pack the luggage.”
“Sigh—understood. By the way, you mentioned there was a place to visit earlier, but it seems you haven’t stopped by yet?”
“Yes, it’s farther than I thought.”
At my words, Chaeseoha looked at me with a puzzled expression. The route from Beijing to Hannam should be straightforward, so her eyes betrayed confusion about where I could possibly mean.
I gazed into her eyes and smiled softly.
Anhui.
I cannot keep the sleeping dragon dormant forever.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————