The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 270

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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 270

A stone imbued with an immortal’s soul.
The moment I heard that description, one thing came naturally to mind—Gok Ok.
Whether it truly contained an immortal’s spirit or not was secondary; there could be no other stone in all of the Central Plains more mystical than that one.
I emptied my cup with an impassive expression.
The key was to reveal nothing in my face or eyes that suggested I wanted to hear more.
If Manrigui sensed that, he would realize he held the upper hand in this exchange.
Then, no matter how hard I pressed, I couldn’t guarantee I’d hear the complete story.
“Ever since Ha Omun was established until now, such information has trickled in from time to time, though rarely.”
“What does that have to do with Cheon Gi-do?”
“Haha—listen well. A stone imbued with an immortal’s soul is quite extraordinary, they say. The moment one obtains it, they can wield abilities beyond human comprehension.”
Manrigui burst into hearty laughter as he spoke.
Each time his voice struck my ears, my conviction that this stone was Gok Ok grew stronger.
So I listened with open ears, yet my frown deepened steadily.
I made it clear, as much as possible, that such a thing could never exist.
After hearing everything, I spoke as though it were absurd.
“If such a thing truly existed, the Gae Bang and other intelligence networks would have heard of it. Wouldn’t they have attempted to verify its existence?”
Manrigui nodded at my question.
A question anyone would naturally ask.
Perhaps for that reason, Manrigui continued without concern.
“Many have set out searching, yet none have found it. Isn’t that why it became legend? But even that legend has been buried by time and forgotten.”
“An amusing tale indeed. But what does it have to do with Cheon Gi-do?”
“I don’t know the exact details, but… I thought perhaps Cheon Gi-do might be a map pointing to where that stone lies. So I searched for it with all my might.”
A small clicking sound of the tongue was heard.
I could imagine how bitter his heart must be—he’d finally obtained Cheon Gi-do, a desire he’d harbored for so long, only to have it stolen by unexpected attackers.
“Isn’t it fascinating?”
“Fascinating?”
“Yes! A stone that grants powers no human can possess! A spiritual stone imbued with the strength of an immortal! If such a thing truly existed, wouldn’t it be magnificent?!”
Manrigui’s expression became utterly entranced.
Like a believer gazing at the heavens with reverence, as if standing before the Divine itself.
His burning eyes held genuine passion for Gok Ok, and he made no effort to hide his desire to possess it.
Madness was laid bare.
He clung to a single rumor—a legend that had faded and been forgotten—with such intensity that he could pursue it for a lifetime, relentlessly grasping for it.
Even having lost Cheon Gi-do, I sensed he would never abandon his pursuit of Gok Ok.
From this alone, I could understand somewhat why Cheon Gi-do had leaked out into the world in the past.
Manrigui had obtained Cheon Gi-do and attempted to uncover the secrets it contained, but failed. Eventually, in the process of seeking outside help, I suspected he’d been betrayed by someone.
This was nearly a certainty.
Without thinking, a sneer crossed my lips.
“It seems the Munzhu enjoys childish tales.”
“Hahaha—! Well, there’s no harm in thinking that way. I’m simply… curious.”
Manrigui concluded his story with a laugh.
As if the bitter sting refused to fade, he reached out and seized the wine bottle, gulping it down with satisfied swallows.
“Khah— So, have I paid my due?”
“Since I heard an unfunny tale, it feels like I’ve suffered a loss… but since I set the price myself, there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Hahaha—! I find you yourself more absurd than anything…”
“I don’t see it that way.”
At my resolute words, Manrigui snorted.
Anyone with enough skill to sense his presence would know their footing well enough, so my words seemed to leave him at a loss for breath.
He exhaled a sigh and looked at me while shaking his head.
“Sometimes such tales become opportunities for fortune and lead to enlightenment, don’t they? Hahaha. Well, it doesn’t seem to hold meaning for you, though.”
Groan—
Manrigui rose from his seat as he finished speaking.
Then he gazed at the wine bottles scattered about, grasping them one by one in his hands before walking off with a shuffle.
Was this his intention to speak no further?
Perhaps any questions beyond this point would require payment in turn.
Thus, I made no effort to stop him as he departed.
Manrigui walked a short distance before suddenly halting and turning back to face me.
His gaze held something enigmatic.
After staring silently for some time, he broke into a broad smile and spoke with ease.
“If you ever need information that’s difficult to obtain, come find me. Haha, since you’ve gone through trouble on my account, I’ll hear you out once.”
“That sounds like it will cost more than the tale you just told.”
“Hahaha—.”
Manrigui waved his hand and entered his dwelling.
Though it clearly appeared to be where he resided, should I visit this place again, I would not see Manrigui’s face.
I turned my gaze away from the figure who had completely vanished.
With the host gone, the wine had lost some of its flavor.
Besides, the night had grown late, and it was time to depart.
As I rose to leave, the voice of Baek Jin-hwa, who had been quietly observing the situation, reached my ears.
“By the way, Young Master.”
“What else is there?”
“Have you heard the recent rumors about the Jin Family?”
“Us? I haven’t heard anything.”
As for rumors about me, I’d heard enough to make my ears ache.
So much had happened in so many places.
But since Baek Jin-hwa spoke of the Jin Family and not me, I suspected something unusual had caught the Hao Munzhu’s information network.
“It seems there’s something troubling?”
“Recently, ill rumors have been spreading. That the rice the Jin Family delivered had rotted, that shipments have vanished, and that the warehouse refuses to pay… such things.”
I pondered as I listened to her words.
The rice supplied by the Jin Family was evaluated as the finest in the Central Plains, such was its quality.
It even reached the Imperial Palace itself, no less.
That it had rotted?
It was utterly impossible, and while goods could disappear during transport, if rumors were spreading this widely, it would have to be happening in multiple locations, not just one.
And on top of that, payment wasn’t made at the battlefield?
That too was an absurd and laughable rumor.
As I let a faint smile play at my lips, Baek Jin-hwa’s eyes showed surprise.
“You don’t seem concerned, I notice.”
“I’m not particularly worried. What’s some rumor like that worth….”
Indeed, it was worth nothing.
The very fact that such incidents and rumors were spreading meant, ultimately, that someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
And then a certain face flashed vividly before my eyes.

* * *

Manrigui, seated in a spacious chamber, drained a wine cup filled to the brim in one gulp.
Yet even that seemed insufficient, for he seized the wine bottle itself and shoved it into his mouth, pouring its contents down his throat in a torrent.
“Phew—.”
Manrigui hurled the empty bottle away without hesitation.
Though it surely should have shattered, the bottle rolled silently into a corner without a sound.
From that alone, one could sense that Hao Munzhu’s abilities were far from ordinary.
No one could possibly regard their sect as merely peddlers of information.
Just as Manrigui steadied his breathing and wiped his mouth clean, about to reach for another bottle, the door suddenly opened and Baek Jin-hwa entered.
The guest had departed.
“He’s gone then.”
“Yes, the Young Master has left.”
“Ha-ha— truly an amusing child. Now I understand why you hold him in such regard.”
At Manrigui’s words, Baek Jin-hwa smiled softly.
The special consideration she had shown Jin Cheon-u had not displeased the Munzhu, and relief escaped her in a quiet sigh.
In truth, she had worried he might take offense over the Doyuanhyang matter.
Tap— tap—!
Then Manrigui began tapping his empty cup with his finger, seeming to fall into deep contemplation.
It was a sight Baek Jin-hwa had witnessed many times before, and she held her breath.
He was surely making an assessment of Jin Cheon-u.
Whether he would become an enemy or an ally.
Whether he should be recruited or allowed to depart.
Silence lingered for a moment, and finally his lips parted.
His evaluation of Jin Cheon-u was—
“A dangerous man.”
“…!”
“Truth and falsehood reveal themselves not at all. No sincerity shows in the words he speaks, so I find myself uncertain how to even continue the conversation.”
“So… you continued speaking of matters I never asked about?”
Manrigui nodded his head.
The stone where Cheon Gi-do and Seon Hon dwelled.
That story alone had already paid its price.
But the reason he deliberately prolonged it with trivial details was because each word Jin Cheon-u uttered revealed neither truth nor falsehood.
Whether he truly lost the Cheon Gi-do, or whether he never obtained it in the first place, or perhaps it now rested within his mind—I attempted to discern this by observing his expression, the light in his eyes, his breathing, and the disturbance in his vital energy, yet nothing revealed itself.
I heard he was called a genius who surpassed his older siblings in childhood and claimed the position of Young Master So, but genius and experience exist on entirely different planes.
Standing before a seasoned veteran like Hao Munzhu, the ability to conceal one’s emotions would only be possible after accumulating countless experiences.
Yet he accomplished it.
As if it were nothing.
This could not help but weigh heavily on my mind.
Moreover.
“Strength unbecoming of his age… this is far more dangerous.”
“He is certainly remarkable. Already, even after searching through all of Jeongsa, no match can be found among his peers.”
Moryeong Hyeok and Cheon Yul had already been defeated, and though the Demonic Sect remained hidden, they would likely be similar to Cheon Yul, so the claim of having no rivals was certainly true.
Though it would be fitting for those possessed of genius talent to accomplish such things, Jin Cheon-u hails from a merchant family and never learned the martial arts of a prestigious clan—yet his growth defies all reason.
Even listing everything from beginning to end and examining it carefully, a being who could not exist without being sent by heaven has appeared in the martial world.
Whether this brings fortune or misfortune to Ha Omun, I do not yet know.
For now, I have judged him to be dangerous.
Because his true intentions remain unknowable.
All the more so because he is far too seasoned and unobstructed.
If I were to bring forth those of Jin Cheon-u’s age renowned in the martial world and speak the same words, I would have confidence that I could pierce through truth and falsehood in an instant merely from their expressions, vital energy, breathing, manner of speech, and bodily movements.
“Haa… this troubles me greatly….”
Manrigui continued tapping his empty wine cup.
Though I had thought my deliberation already concluded, the fact that I still pondered something suggested that Jin Cheon-u as an existence brought me considerable worry.
The moment Baek Jin-hwa steadied her breathing.
Manrigui’s gaze shifted toward her.
“By the way, have you still not found the Sword Emperor?”
At the sudden question, Baek Jin-hwa could not hide her bewilderment.
Why does the Sword Emperor come up now, in this situation?
Unable to suppress her confusion, the answer came naturally from her lips.
“Nowhere I search reveals any trace.”
“Yes… so it is….”
Manrigui nodded and recalled Jin Cheon-u.
In the moment I recalled his appearance and growth trajectory witnessed before my eyes in that brief time, Ha Omun realized anew that, willingly or not, I could only bend the knee.
A bitter smile hung at the corners of my lips.
“Perhaps before long… a new Sword Emperor will appear.”
“… !”
At Manrigui’s words that suddenly reached her ears, Baek Jin-hwa trembled, her eyes widening in shock.
She was not one to fail to grasp the meaning behind those words.

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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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