The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 274

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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 274

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Nakhyang.
As night descended upon the city, thick darkness filled every corner within its walls.
Only the torches held by patrolling guards illuminated the darkness, making it the perfect situation for those who moved under cover of night.
Chwiayeok slipped past the sentries guarding the city gates with such stealth that they never noticed his presence.
As if he had become the night itself, no one who glimpsed him would have sensed his existence.
Thus he advanced, befriending the darkness.
After passing through the marketplace and traveling for some time, the lights of the pleasure district finally came into view—his destination.
Despite the late hour, it blazed as bright as midday.
Lanterns hung everywhere, illuminating the entire street.
The scent of alcohol, roasted meat, and women’s perfume mingled with the sweat of rough ruffians, all assaulting the nose at once.
This was the unmistakable aroma of a pleasure district—something only a great city could offer.
Raucous laughter and cries, the occasional sound of flutes and drums, and all manner of indulgence intertwined on these streets, stirring the hearts of hot-blooded men.
“Ah, this is what life is all about.”
Chwiayeok muttered contentedly to himself with a smile.
With each step deeper into the district, the lights flickered more brilliantly, and the clinking of wine bottles at every corner and the smiles of women captivated his attention.
Was he trying to calm his excited spirit?
He purchased a bottle of wine from a street vendor and drank it without hesitation as he walked.
His footsteps were hurried, matching the wild beating of his heart.
His destination was already decided.
Ignoring the beckoning gestures of women on all sides, he moved swiftly toward Nakhyang’s largest gambling house.
Soon his destination revealed itself.
A grand hall that dominated one section of the pleasure district.
From within, the sounds of joy and sorrow intermingled, with sighs and cheers coexisting and leaking out into the street.
Chwiayeok pushed open the door without hesitation and stepped inside.
Roaaaar—
In an instant, scorching heat and roaring voices assaulted his ears all at once.
The slurred voices of drunk men and the sound of silver coins exchanging hands.
Even the air felt heavy, thick with desire and lust.
Chwiayeok’s eyes gleamed as he moved deeper inside.
He instinctively knew that the stakes were lower near the entrance, and grew larger the further one ventured in.
Then his footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
All eyes were fixed on one particular spot.
“She won again!”
“Damn it… again…?”
Amid the chorus of cheers and sighs, a woman seated at the center of the table captured everyone’s attention.
Lips painted with crimson rouge, a graceful figure adorned in elaborate silks.
Her appearance alone was captivating enough to ensnare the gaze, yet what truly dominated was the intensity of her eyes.
The woman was not looking at her opponent’s tiles, but at his face.
A gaze that seemed to pierce deep into the very core of a man’s heart.
Clack—
The moment she placed down her tiles, the man across from her trembled, his breath catching, and upon witnessing this, a subtle smile graced the woman’s lips.
“I win.”
Her voice carried across the gambling hall.
Even the silence that followed was brief.
The man’s face fell while the woman swept the silver coins toward herself.
Before long, silver taels had accumulated in towering stacks before her.
So much that one could scarcely fathom the extent of her winnings.
Yet what proved even more intriguing was that the woman methodically organized the piled silver with utter indifference—no joy flickered across her features, nor even a hint of greed.
To Chwiayeok, this was utterly mysterious.
The corners of Chwiayeok’s mouth curved upward as he observed from a distance.
So the rumors were true after all, not mere fabrication.
Beauty like a celestial maiden, an unbelievable winning streak.
His heart quickened.
Wine, women, and gambling—all three desires satisfied in a single existence standing before his eyes.
“This should prove entertaining.”
He parted through the crowd and made his way toward the gambling table.

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“May I join in as well?”
At the sound of the voice, Chaeseoha’s gaze shifted.
A man approached with a confident expression on his face.
As he stared at her with an alluring presence, the man couldn’t hide his excitement any longer, exhaling sharply through his nose before taking a seat across from her.
It was then that Namgung Yeon’s cautious voice reached her ears.
“Doctor…”
“I know.”
Chaeseoha nodded slightly and examined the man before her once more. His appearance was no different from the portrait Jin Cheon-u had drawn.
The resemblance was so striking, as if he had been carved from the same mold—it was almost absurd.
She hadn’t expected them to look so alike.
As she met his eyes with a subtle smile playing on her lips, Chwiayeok grinned awkwardly, revealing yellowed teeth.
“Well then, let’s enjoy ourselves.”
The moment Chwiayeok finished speaking, the tiles were dealt.
Bone tiles were painted with flowers, birds, and numbers.
Each player held eight tiles, discarding one at a time to match combinations.
The first to complete two pairs and a consecutive sequence of three tiles would be the victor.
“Ha, a game like this wouldn’t be complete without me.”
Chwiayeok chuckled as he picked up his tiles.
From the very first hand, he tossed down silver coins.
After examining his tiles and apparently completing his combination, he threw down the coins with an exceptionally broad grin.
“Haha, gambling is all about nerve!”
Chwiayeok flicked his fingers and discarded a tile.
His eyes gleamed with confidence.
As if convinced he would never lose, he displayed the expression and gaze of a victor, watching Chaeseoha intently.
In that moment, Chaeseoha’s gaze fixed on Chwiayeok’s fingertips.
The slightest tension in his fingers.
At the same time, despite his outward confidence, his eyes trembled.
Having treated more patients than anyone else, she found it effortless to read a person’s eyes, expressions, and subtle tremors.
“I’ll take it.”
With her brief response, the tiles came down once more.
Clack—
The moment Chaeseoha revealed her tiles, Chwiayeok’s lips twitched.
Hers were higher.
This meant defeat.
Chaeseoha showed no smile as she reached out and swept the silver coins toward herself, then turned her gaze back to Chwiayeok with an alluring gleam in her eyes and a faint smile on her lips.
As if she intended to steal the very soul from his body.
Observing the wavering pupils in Chwiayeok’s eyes, Chaeseoha’s voice flowed once more.
“Shall we play again?”
“Of course! Isn’t it more fun when you lose at the start?”
Chwiayeok laughed shamelessly and took a drink of wine to wet his parched throat.
I steadied my breathing, as if declaring that I would never lose next time, as if steeling my resolve to surely make Chaeseoha submit.
Chwiayeok discarded his cards even more boldly and bluffed, but it was utterly shattered, and this repeated again and again without pause.
One purse was completely emptied, then expensive ornaments disappeared one by one, and soon all that remained were the promissory notes he had received as commission.
Clack!
Chwiayeok, grinding his teeth, threw all the promissory notes onto the table.
“This time I will surely win!”
His loud voice rang out, but all that came back was mockery directed at him.
As if everyone knew he could never win no matter what.
Yet Chwiayeok’s eyes blazed with fire.
The moment he glared at Chaeseoha with sharp, upturned eyes.
She, who had been sending bored, indifferent glances, rested her chin on her hand with a small smile playing at her lips, then with elegant grace extended her hand and quietly laid down her cards.
Tap—
“I win.”
“…!”
At the sight of her neatly sweeping up all the promissory notes from the table, Chwiayeok collapsed like a man who had lost all words.
As if his very soul had been drained away.
His lifeless eyes turned toward her.
She collected the money with an indifferent expression, devoid of even greed, handed a handful of silver coins to Namgung Yeon beside her, and swept everything else into a pouch.
“I’ve enjoyed myself thoroughly.”
Then, with a smile, she rose from her seat.
“Quite a profitable day, isn’t it?”
“I’m beginning to think you might build a grand estate soon.”
“Hehe— Brother Yeon. It’s not quite that much. Besides, you’ve earned quite a bit yourself.”
“What I earned wasn’t from my own efforts—it was given to me by the Doctor. I myself… even if told to do it, my hands would tremble too much.”
Chatter, chatter—
Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon, as if indifferent to the loser’s feelings, didn’t even spare him another glance and turned their backs, beginning to leave the gambling house.
Only then did Chwiayeok come to his senses and hastily rose from his seat.
He hurried after them, roughly pushing through the crowd as he went outside.
In the red-lantern district street where countless people still came and went, it wasn’t easy to find the two women, so he continued looking left and right until he spotted them.
“You can’t just win and run away! Damn it!”
Yes, I admit it.
I cannot win at gambling, cannot obtain her.
My mind was captivated by those enchanting eyes gazing at the cards in her hand, drawn in by her every movement and gesture.
Whenever she smiled, my soul nearly left my body—I couldn’t concentrate on gambling even if I tried.
Her beauty was that overwhelming.
Thus, I wavered, and as a result, this outcome came to pass.
But it’s fine.
Who am I?
The greatest thief in the Central Plains.
If I set my mind to it, there is nothing I cannot steal.
What is lost must be recovered.
Today, every coin she earned would fall into Chwiayeok’s hands.
I wanted to see her expression twisted with despair when she woke in the morning and realized she had lost everything she held in her grasp.
Even as she swept up vast sums of money without a flicker of emotion, I could almost see her composed face crumpling, her eyes glistening with tears.
Unable to contain the heat rising through his body at the mere thought, the man with a sinister smile on his lips quickened his pace.
After following stealthily for some time, a wealthy district came into view.
It occurred to me that this was precisely why such sums of money had failed to move her.
With so much wealth, no amount of money could spark her interest.
After watching the two figures disappear into a grand estate moments later, Chwiayeok waited a brief moment before beginning to move slowly forward.
He had failed at gambling, but not now.
The night was always his stage.
Hidden in shadow, no one could find him.
With such confidence, the moment he carefully scaled the wall and slipped inside—
Crack-crack-snap!
Something gave way beneath his foot, and a sound erupted.
At the same time—
Whoosh!
“Gack?!”
A kick drove deep into his abdomen, and he was sent flying with a retching cry. As his body slammed against the wall and a groan escaped him, his blurred vision focused on the figure of a muscular man before him.
He desperately twisted his body, trying to slip back into the darkness.
Even if discovered, he could simply vanish as he always did.
He had faced such situations countless times before.
But this time was different.
The man’s hand shot out like lightning.
A grip filled with the determination not to let go seized Chwiayeok’s hair.
“Argh—!”
The pain of his head being torn from his body made him thrash involuntarily.
In that moment, a resonant voice rang out.
“Young Master! I’ve got him!”
A single phrase that pierced his ears along with violent pain.
Spoken without hesitation, as if he had been waiting all along.
Swallowing tears, he turned his head.
The splendid estate came into view, and the two women he had seen at the gambling den stood motionless in one spot, watching him intently.
As if it had all been planned.
Unable to comprehend the situation, his breath caught as footsteps began to pound relentlessly in his ears.
Thump-thump—
Each step seemed to strike at Chwiayeok’s very heart.
As the sound drew closer and closer, his complexion grew unnaturally pale, and his heart thundered as if it might burst.
The footsteps ceased, and a shadow fell across his vision.
Standing before him was a young man.
The moment that face entered my vision, Chwiayeok’s eyes widened as if they might burst from their sockets.
An existence I should never have encountered.
Someone whose very existence must remain hidden.
None other than Young Master So Jin Cheon-u of the Nakyang Jin Family.
“Caught you more easily than I expected. I thought you’d at least put up a fight, like a midnight game of tag.”
Caught?
At those words from Jin Cheon-u’s mouth, Chwiayeok swallowed hard again, trembling.
If his words were true, then this entire situation was nothing but a trap he had laid.
At that hollow, absurd realization, a bitter laugh escaped.
Crack—!
A brutal fist flew toward my face, and the world before my eyes vanished in an instant.

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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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