The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 307

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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 307

The pressure wasn’t sharp, but a weighty force seized control of the room. An aura so oppressive that ordinary people would struggle merely to stand—it was unmistakably a threat directed at me.
So I fixed my gaze upon Mu-jin.
His eyes swirled with countless emotions.
Was retrieving the book meant to uncover those who had lured Ho-yeon away?
Yet I had already examined its contents, so such a purpose held no meaning. Still, I had my own reasons for refusing to surrender it.
Did he sense such resolve?
Once more, Mu-jin’s aura pressed heavily upon my shoulders, and his voice—infused with the authority of the Mudang—pierced into my ears.
“The Mudang cannot allow its possessions to leave carelessly, so I hope you won’t take offense at this.”
“I apologize, but this is not the Mudang’s possession. If we speak of ownership, I could claim it far more legitimately than that.”
“…What did you say?”
“Moreover, I have come under the Emperor’s command, so I cannot surrender it. I can allow you to examine it briefly, if you wish?”
At my audacious words, Mu-jin’s eyes widened.
This was no ordinary person—Tae-hwang Mu-jin, one of the Ten Sovereigns.
And where was this place?
The Mudang.
Naturally, even the name of the Jin Family held no sway here.
In such a place, the notion of “allowing a brief viewing” of something found in Ho-yeon’s secret chamber would never be accepted.
As expected.
Mu-jin’s eyes began to grow increasingly fierce.
Considering his station and age, the very act of my doing this was laughable, yet he seemed genuinely enraged over Ho-yeon’s matter.
“Heh—I heard it was discovered in Jang Munin’s secret chamber. Then wouldn’t it belong to the Mudang? Yet to give it to the Emperor without the Mudang’s permission—are you disrespecting the Mudang?”
“I examined its contents, and it does not belong to the Mudang. Rather, I wish to ask: why was the Uiseonchae family’s heirloom in Ho-yeon Jang Munin’s secret chamber?”
“…!”
The moment the Chae Family’s name left my lips, Mu-jin’s eyes expanded. As I witnessed emotions rippling across his gaze like waves, a smile unconsciously bloomed at my lips.
“Could it be that the Chae Family’s annihilation and the Mudang are connected…?”
“You insolent wretch—!”
A deafening roar erupted.
A lion’s cry so tremendous the entire hall trembled.
Kurrrrung—!
It seemed to embody Mu-jin’s refusal to tolerate any insult to the Mudang.
I furrowed my brow.
Truly, none of the Ten Sovereigns were easily dismissed.
“Does the Mudang’s name seem so trivial to you?”
“If not, I offer my apologies. However, my inability to return it remains unchanged. Moreover… since the last descendant of the Chae Family is now a member of the Jin household, wouldn’t the right to claim it belong to us rather than the Mudang?”
“…!”
Once again, my shocking words left Mu-jin unable to conceal his astonishment.
Mujin couldn’t hide his surprise at the shocking words once again.
Then, I recalled Chaeseoha and furrowed my brow.
“Was it that child….”
“The woman you’re remembering now is likely correct.”
Mu-jin let out a hollow laugh.
If this truly was the Jin Family’s heirloom and someone from the Chae Family had become a member of the Jin Family household, then they had no grounds to claim any rights.
However, simply retreating like this was also a matter of wounded pride.
“I cannot say I understand how this came to pass, but the fact that it emerged from where Jang Munin dwelled suggests it was obtained legitimately. Therefore, I cannot accept your words. Rather, it is you who must prove that you are a descendant of the Chae Family.”
After all, it was a fallen clan.
Even if I searched, there would be no survivors to find, and if I claimed to be the last descendant, without proof to substantiate it, the claim held no meaning.
I shook my head with such thoughts in mind.
This old Taoist had quite the appetite for greed.
“On the contrary, how can you be so certain that place was created by Martial Arts Master Ho-yeon?”
“That is—!”
“Furthermore, if the Martial Arts Master truly created that place, how do you explain the sinister things that were inside? Or perhaps the Martial Arts Master leaned toward the wicked rather than the righteous—.”
Had my single remark shattered his patience?
Mu-jin’s hand moved.
A force laden with whirlwind energy crashed forward brutally.
Kwaaang—!
My body was driven backward by the violent force and slammed against the wall.
Crack—
No, with tremendous force, I smashed straight through the wall and tumbled outside.
I steadied myself with difficulty and rose, looking ahead to see Mu-jin glaring at me with a sharp, cold expression.
It seemed I had truly touched a nerve.
“Young Master?!”
Then, my companions rushed out at the sudden commotion.
Moreover, the disciples of the Martial Artist who had been wandering nearby also began gathering hastily at the strange situation.
However, Mu-jin’s gaze remained fixed upon me, and I had no room to look elsewhere.
“To insult Jang Munin is to insult the Martial Artist. You… do you truly wish to live?”
“I’ve encountered quite a few who are called the Ten Sovereigns, yet why does each one seem desperate to boast of their strength?”
“…Do you truly wish to see the end?”
Along with Mu-jin’s piercing gaze, the force he unleashed pressed heavily upon my shoulders. As I endured the crushing pressure that seemed intent on forcing me to my knees, furrowing my brow, the voices of disciples who had gathered here one by one reached my ears.
“What, what is this?!”
The most familiar voice was none other than Cheongdam’s.
The gaping hole in the guest hall’s wall was shocking enough, but witnessing me and Mu-jin facing off in that courtyard, he seemed at a loss for words.
I slowly steadied my breathing and looked at Mu-jin once more.
Simultaneously, I spoke the only method that could break through this situation.
“Since neither of us can yield, what if we settle this like warriors—with our blades?”
“What?”
“If I cut you down, then this becomes mine.”
“Hehehehe— do you believe that possible?”
“Originally, turning the impossible into the possible happens to be my specialty.”
My light voice carried across the hall, stunning everyone present. Who in all the world could speak such words to the Tae-hwang himself?
In that moment, everyone swallowed hard and held their breath.
Mu-jin’s deflated gaze turned toward Cheongdam.
“Give me your sword.”
Under Mu-jin’s piercing presence, Cheongdam couldn’t utter a word and simply approached me, handing over his blade.
I caressed it gently and steadied my breathing.
Then, drawing the sword slowly, I fixed my gaze upon Mu-jin.
“I look forward to your guidance, sir.”
“There are things in this world that cannot be achieved through spirit alone. I hope you come to understand that.”
As those words reached my ears and a faint smile played at my lips—
Mu-jin’s hand moved lightly.
Without even gripping a sword, his sweeping hand carried the essence of the tai chi, descending upon me as if it contained the profound mysteries of the Martial Artist himself.
Clang—!
I hastily raised my blade to block.
A loud metallic screech assaulted my eardrums.
Simultaneously, I felt my body driven backward, but now was not the time to dwell on that.
Quickly shifting my gaze—
Mu-jin’s figure, which had been before me, now appeared from the right, closing the distance perfectly.
Zing—!
Then a brief scene painted itself in my mind.
Confirming it, I twisted my head and, stepping with footwork, naturally attempted to seize the space behind Mu-jin.
“Not so fast!”
Boom—!
But it was not so simple.
Unable even to close the distance, I was forced to retreat, and feeling the sharp fragments strike my body, I let out a hollow laugh.
“Would you not go easier on me?”
“Heh—is that something you should say after touching upon the honor of the Martial Artist?”
I clicked my tongue and drew up my inner strength.
The blade’s keen edge revealed its full power.
All those watching could not hide their astonishment, for while they had heard the rumors, seeing it with their own eyes was a world apart.
I swung my sword without hesitation.
Boom—!
As a tempest erupted, my robes fluttered wildly.
Our respective forces intertwined from all directions, suppressing one another.
I felt the pressure upon my entire body, and a force that seemed ready to tear my skin apart.
I clenched my teeth and raised my sword higher.
The inner force concentrated in my grip flowed along the blade, meeting Mu-jin’s inner power head-on.
As the metallic sound rang out and our forces clashed and collided, Mu-jin’s eyes narrowed.
That was when—
“…!”
Mu-jin’s two hands swept through the air in grand circular motions, and in an instant, a perfect yin-yang symbol materialized before me.
The colossal circle drawn in the void was no mere gesture.
It was as though the very currents of heaven and earth were being forcibly drawn together and transformed into a vortex.
The moment my feet stepped into it, my body was violently pulled inward.
Whoosh—!
A suffocating pressure constricted my breathing.
My waist, arms, and even my internal organs felt as though they were being wrenched toward the center.
The more I struggled to escape, the deeper I sank into the quagmire.
Before long, my entire body was ensnared by the rotation of the yin-yang.
“Kugh?!”
The crushing force pressed down as if to snap my spine.
Blood reversed its flow, my head rang with pain, and even my sword froze, refusing to move at my command.
Boom—!
I forcibly altered the sword’s trajectory.
The softly luminous moonlit sword form vanished, and ripples began to surge violently.
Whoosh—!
As my blade twisted and tore through the yin-yang’s rotation, the suppressed energy erupted outward in a violent surge.
The ripples thrashed wildly, flowing backward against the yin-yang.
“This bastard!?”
Mu-jin’s face contorted in shock.
He hastily moved his hands again, attempting to redirect the currents.
But like a waterfall already plummeting downward, once the flow had reversed, no human strength could contain it.
Boom—!
With a deafening roar, the yin-yang Mu-jin had created was swallowed whole.
“…Impossible!”
A voice of astonishment echoed from somewhere.
Countless gazes from all directions pierced through the space.
But this was not the moment to be distracted.
Whoosh—!
Another lance of force came hurtling through, twisting the space as it shot toward me.
I barely managed to block it by unleashing the extreme form of my protective energy, but the shockwave lingered in my body, leaving me trembling.
As I felt my grip weaken on my sword and hurled myself backward, something came flying through the rising dust.
“…!”
Clang—!
Masterless swords.
And not merely one.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang—!
Three blades sang out simultaneously as they collided, tracing a yin-yang pattern.
The circles layered upon one another, forming a massive vortex, and the trajectories of the blades were flawless—the moment I sought an opening, they lunged at my throat like a wolf’s fangs.

Commanding the sword with qi (以氣御劍).

An ancient technique that only those who had reached the Extreme Harmony Realm could unleash.
“This is maddening, truly.”
Clang, clang, clang, clang-!
I retreated swiftly, deflecting the incoming blades with rapid strikes.
Should I grant even a moment’s opening, my opponent would seize it without mercy, so I had to secure as much space as possible to maneuver while striking and searching for an opportunity.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-!
Yet it was not easy.
Neither the Mudang Ogum nor even Ho-yeon’s swordsmanship was this refined.
I felt countless small wounds appearing across my body and furrowed my brow.
“Heh heh, are you beginning to feel fear now?”
Mu-jin’s low voice resonated through the darkness like a blade cutting through shadow.
I bit the tip of my tongue and steadied my mind.
Fear?
I swallowed fear long ago.
All that remained now was the resolve to carve a path through this battle, no matter what.
And that moment was now!
Whoosh-!
One of the incoming blades slashed across my chest.
But it was not deep.
In the next instant, as another blade, seizing the opening, extended toward my ribs.
I laughed, pouring every ounce of qi from my dantian into my sword.
Commanding the sword with qi?
Very well.
“…!”
I extended my blade and pulled one of the swords toward me.
Whoosh-!
Simultaneously, two other blades cut across my ribs and shoulder, yet I paid no heed to such trivial matters and moved my sword with serene grace once more.
It appeared as though I were drawing a tai chi symbol, but it was not.
A whirlpool within a current of water.
A flow from which none who are caught can escape.
Another blade was drawn in, and then the final one, until three blades were gathered and held within the grasp of my single sword.
At that moment, an ultimate sword force wrapped around the entire blade and was unleashed without restraint.
Clang, clang, clang, clang-!
A deafening, cacophonous sound echoed forth.
All present were rendered speechless by the sight unfolding before their eyes.
Four blades shattered into countless fragments, their forms unrecognizable.
Then a tempestuous wind rushed toward Mu-jin, and as innumerable sword fragments rained down like a deluge, even Mu-jin could not conceal his shock.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
In that instant, Mu-jin extended his hand to gather the wind and attempted to deflect the fragments, but it was futile against the deluge pouring down like a torrential downpour.
And then.
Whoosh—!
“…!”
The debris flew helplessly past, grazing Mu-jin’s cheek and drawing blood.
“Haa, haa….”
I steadied my ragged breathing as I observed the scene before me.
At the same time, what caught my eye was Mu-jin’s expression.
As if utterly disbelieving, he widened his eyes and stared at me, then reached up to wipe the blood from his cheek.
“Tae… Taesajo’s cheek is bleeding….”
“This is utterly impossible…!”
Everyone fell silent, their shock absolute.
Taehwang Mu-jin, one of the Three Sovereigns of Jeongdo.
Blood was flowing from the cheek of this towering figure of the martial world—something they believed could only occur in a confrontation with another of the Ten Sovereigns, yet it was happening at the hands of one who called himself a mere merchant.
“Heh.”
Then Mu-jin let out a hollow laugh, as if astounded.
He alternated his gaze between the blood on his hand and me, steadied his breathing, and waited intently for me to speak.
I acknowledged this and offered a faint smile.
“Since you’ve been cut, it’s now mine.”
“Hehehehe—.”
The laughter that followed echoed across the entirety of Mudang Mountain.

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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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