The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 290

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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 290

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This was the pleasure district.
Even there, I had once found the Emperor’s favorite establishment. The doors were sealed shut, and countless guards stood watch both inside and out.
As if the primary purpose was simply to drink, the courtesans were dismissed entirely, leaving only four people to fill the room.
Yet the table was laid out lavishly.
A feast befitting the reception of an Emperor was spread before us, and rare wines that were difficult to procure had been brought in abundance.
In such a place, the Emperor sat, while Chungho stood behind him.
I maintained a composed expression across from him, but Chaeseoha seemed deeply uncomfortable with this gathering, her lips pressed firmly shut.
Though people were present, it felt as though no one existed except the Emperor and myself.
It was while I was thinking such thoughts.
The Emperor, holding a wine bottle, filled an empty cup.
Then, with a subtle gesture, he offered it to me.
“Take it.”
“You honor me too greatly, Your Majesty.”
“Do not be so stiff. I favored the boldness you once displayed.”
“Thank you.”
As I spoke with a lighter tone and changed my expression, the Emperor’s face finally relaxed, and he raised his cup.
The moment he drank smoothly, I accepted the cup and drank as well.
“This place is my favorite. Traces of my past, before I ascended to the throne, remain scattered throughout.”
…
The Emperor pointed toward the wall.
There, marks of something thrown and striking the surface were visible in multiple places—anyone could see that rage had been vented here.
In that moment, the Emperor wore a bitter smile.
“Yet now, it has all become a memory of the past.”
His expression carried an unmistakable bitterness.
The memories from his youthful, reckless days remained vivid, yet he understood that he too had aged with the passage of time that had weathered these marks.
Just like his predecessor.
Eyes and expression that grasped for eternal life and power.
It seemed he would follow the path of the Iron-Blooded Emperor without deviation.
Had he realized this?
The Emperor erased his expression and looked at me once more.
“So, you intend to resume business in Beijing?”
“I understand you have already granted permission.”
“Indeed, I have. Do you know why?”
“I do not.”
“Because the Jin Family of Luoyang carries symbolic significance.”
Tsk—
The Jin Family’s enterprises sprawl across the entirety of the Central Plains.
Erected magnificently in every bustling, crowded city, they inevitably become the symbol of each town.
Beijing is no exception.
Yet when those establishments have their doors locked and the buildings grow shabby and unsightly, what would visitors to Beijing think?
They would suspect the relationship between the Jin Family and the Imperial Court.
The Emperor found that displeasing.
For generations, the Jin Family standing against the Imperial Court has always signified a change in the Mandate of Heaven.
Though people dare not whisper openly now, there are those who harbor such thoughts in secret, and so even the Emperor could not simply leave them shuttered.
I raised my cup to my lips and smiled faintly.
“There is no need for suspicion—the Jin Family has always stood with Your Majesty.”
“Haha, yes, I trust you. Therefore, I wish to entrust you with a task.”
“A task… Your Majesty?”
The Emperor nodded and refilled his empty cup.
This time, unlike before, he did not refill mine.
“I hear you possess exceptional talent in martial arts. Is this true?”
“Merely self-defense techniques.”
At my words, the Emperor’s gaze shifted toward Chungho.
Perhaps sensing the look that seemed to ask, “Is that not so?” Chungho sighed and shook his head.
“In my assessment, there are few who could stand against him based on what is already known.”
“Chungho speaks thus. Let me ask again—do you possess talent in martial arts?”
“…I wish to master it to a degree that would not shame me anywhere.”
“Hahaha—”
The Emperor burst into hearty laughter and drained his cup.
Ahhh—
Pleased by the sharp sensation rising in his throat, he smiled, set down the empty cup, and his eyes gleamed.
“Do you know of a man named Hoyeon?”
I glanced sideways at Chungho.
The way he accepted my gaze with an expressionless, calm demeanor unsettled me.
“I know him as Chungho’s master.”
“Indeed. But I hear that man is dead?”
“Yes.”
“That Hoyeon apparently kept a secret chamber somewhere on Wudang Mountain. I would like you to retrieve what lies within it… What do you think?”
Though he was asking for my opinion, this was a question I could not refuse.
Something impossible to decline.
And so I wore a bitter smile.
“I believe anyone would retrieve it at a single word from Your Majesty, but…”
“If Wudang learns of that place’s existence, they will refuse by any means necessary. It is a keepsake of the sect leader, but… it is something that must not be revealed.”
At Chungho’s answer, I furrowed my brow.
If he meant Gok Ok, then no.
From the start, Hoyeon was unable to obtain Gok Ok.
If that were the case, then it was something the Emperor needed rather than Chungho, yet I couldn’t fathom any reason why.
However, since this was an imperial command, I had no choice but to accept it.
“I understand. I’m not certain if I can succeed, but I will do my utmost.”
“Haha― I prioritize results over effort. Since I trust you, I believe you will surely bring it before me.”
*Pour*
The Emperor, a smile playing at his lips, lifted the wine bottle and refilled my empty cup. Confirming his gaze urging me to drink, I drained the cup, and only then did a satisfied smile cross his face.
“Now go. The road ahead will be long.”

* * *

“Phew―! I thought I was dying!”
The moment we stepped outside, Chaeseoha burst forth with gasping breaths. As if she hadn’t been able to breathe properly for some time, she began inhaling violently, and eventually clutched her chest and collapsed to the ground.
“My legs have no strength…”
“Why are you making such a fuss?”
“Young Master, wouldn’t you be the same? If we were discovered, not only would my head fly off, but the Jin Family would suffer tremendous losses as well.”
Chaeseoha spoke these words while catching her breath.
The physician who had treated the Iron-Blooded Emperor.
Since that was none other than her, from the Current Emperor’s perspective, viewing her as a thorn in his side, he would not hesitate to seize her and execute her on the spot.
Moreover, if discovered, the Jin Family would not escape unscathed either.
Once he learned of everything that happened in Doyeon Township, the clan would be utterly destroyed, and I would be no exception.
I offered her a bitter smile and soothed her.
“It’s fine. He showed no sign of suspicion. Even if he wanted to know, he couldn’t.”
“Y-yes, that must be it?”
“I’ve become a completely different person. How could he possibly know?”
At my reassuring words, she nodded and released a sigh of relief.
But suddenly, her eyes widened.
“But what is this? Why is he trying to use you as he pleases?”
“Moving Chungho would bring more losses than gains, and the Martial Artist himself wouldn’t comply even if asked directly, so it was judged better to move a third party.”
Surely, the moment he saw me on the street, he completely forgot about the Yunrim Temple incident and thought of the Martial Artist.
Throughout our rather lengthy conversation, he never once mentioned Yunrim Temple, so it was clear he saw this as a golden opportunity.
“That aside, Hoyeon’s secret space…”
“If it belongs to the Martial Artist, why not just leave it alone? You already possess so much.”
“The more one possesses, the more one desires.”
“What could that possibly be?”
“Immortality.”
Though only for a moment, I glimpsed it in the Emperor’s eyes—the Iron-Blooded Emperor’s desire to overcome even death itself had taken root in him.
Then, did Hoyeon’s secret space contain something capable of achieving that?
I glanced at Chaeseoha.
“Is it even possible to achieve immortality?”
“It’s possible.”
“…Really?”
Chaeseoha, who had been walking along the street, nodded and gazed toward one spot. She approached a roadside vendor where skewers were roasting to a golden brown, exchanged a handful of loose coins for one, and grasped it in her hand.
After taking a bite, she opened her mouth to speak.
“If you become the Divine, it all works out.”
“…Are you playing with words?”
“No, it’s truly correct. If you become the Divine, everything is resolved. You don’t die and can do whatever you wish.”
“In other words, there’s no such way.”
Chaeseoha bit into the skewer again and nodded.
“Whether human or anything else, death is a predetermined fate from the moment of birth. There exists no method to defy it.”
That’s right.
Ordinarily, such a conclusion was inevitable.
Even the Iron-Blooded Emperor’s attempt to capture Chaeseoha wasn’t for eternal life, but merely to heal his body and live a bit longer, was it not?
Yet the Emperor seemed certain of something.
From that alone, it was clear what sort of hope Chungho had instilled in him.
“Thanks to that, it seems I’m heading to Hubei against my wishes.”
It was Hubei I had already visited once before.
The reality was that I had no great desire to venture there again, and even deeper into the Martial Artist’s domain.
Still, I was curious.
What had Chungho seen there that made the Emperor covet it?
Was it something belonging to Singyeo? Or information?
I even wondered if it might be a place with a map showing the location of Gok Ok, just like the Northern Ice Palace.
Or perhaps, if it were something the Emperor would desire, I couldn’t rule out that Gwanbaek had already made his move.
If that were the case, it would become quite a headache.
The Emperor might think I had hidden it.
As my thoughts continued, my furrowed brow refused to relax.
I glanced up at the sky.
Dark clouds had gathered thickly once more.
I hurried my steps toward the inn.
Opening the door to that place, which still wasn’t accepting guests, those who had been conversing turned to look at me.
The moment I confirmed this, I opened my mouth toward Jang Chuchyeong.
“Go send a dispatch to the main family. By the Emperor’s command, I must depart urgently for Hubei, so send someone to take over affairs here.”
“Eh!?”
“T-the Emperor?”
“What?”
Everyone was startled by the unexpected mention of the Emperor.
The sudden invocation of the Emperor’s name and the decided journey to Hubei.
All were bewildered by this unforeseen situation.
I accepted their expressions calmly.
“And Yeon-a, investigate the water routes. I know there are ships that can travel from Beijing to Hubei.”
“Wouldn’t traveling by boat take more time?”
“We haven’t set a deadline, so let’s take our time. I’m exhausted from riding horses.”
“Ah―.”
Namgung Yeon nodded in understanding at my weary sigh. While traveling by boat would certainly take longer than riding, there was nothing better than leisurely appreciating the scenery during a river journey.
“Wahaha! Hubei is my first time there, so I’m excited!”
At that moment, Cheon Yul broke into a bright smile, his expression brimming with anticipation.
Yet it was truly unfortunate.
Our destination was none other than the Martial Artist, one of the pillars of the Nine Sects.
No matter how much Hye-myeong vouches for us, I cannot bring the Soocheonchu of the heterodox faction to the sacred ground of the orthodox sect.
“Soocheonchu cannot go. Hani, you must either remain here with Paeng Sohyeop and Eon Sojeo, or return to the main family.”
“What?! Why!”
“Because our destination is the Martial Artist.”
“The Martial Artist….”
At the mention of the Martial Artist, Cheon Yul fell silent.
He understood well enough what significance that name carried, and for the Soocheonchu of the heterodox faction, it could only be an enormous burden.
Then, glancing alternately at Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo, who wore bewildered expressions, he soon let out a long sigh and quietly sidled up beside them.
“Since we’re the ones who can’t go, let’s become friends together. From now on, we’re friends, friends.”
“I refuse.”
“Then how about sworn siblings? Besides Cheon-u, you have no one else―consider it an honor.”
“Step away. The stench of the heterodox faction will rub off on me.”
The cold Paeng Dohan attempted to shake off the approaching Cheon Yul, but like a tick clinging to skin, he refused to budge, holding fast to Paeng Dohan’s arm.
Shake, shake―
At their bickering, I found myself shaking my head despite myself.
In any case, all that remained was to secure a boat.
Yet I could only pray that the end of this sudden journey would not prove troublesome.

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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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