The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 31

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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 Nakhyang Jin Family – Chapter 92

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Today, like every other day, I lived with purpose.
I rose early, washed my face, and prepared a simple meal. Though it amounted to nothing more than a single piece of dried meat, eating something was better than facing the day with an empty stomach and no strength.
Not that I had no rice at all.
One rice ball.
Made from a handful of grain I’d earned through a full day’s labor.
The moment I gazed upon it, saliva pooled in my throat, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat it. If I did, my younger brother would go hungry all day.
Stepping outside, I caught sight of my brother practicing. Compared to not long ago, his gaunt frame had grown even thinner, and the sight of it pierced my heart.
Work had become scarce lately, forcing me to travel to neighboring villages just to find any jobs at all.
Yet even that proved difficult.
My funds dwindled with each passing day, and our household circumstances were slipping back into the darkness of our past.
“Sigh….”
As I exhaled a long breath, seriously contemplating whether I should hunt or fish to secure today’s meal, I heard footsteps approaching.
Namgung Yeon, who had been practicing, drew near.
“Brother? Are you alright?”
“Ah, I’m fine. Ha, once you finish your training, there’s a meal waiting for you in the kitchen. Eat that. This evening, I’ll… bring back something delicious.”
“Brother, perhaps if I worked as well….”
“What are you saying! You need only focus on your training.”
Namgung Baek, who rarely raised his voice at his younger brother, shouted firmly.
The outburst startled Namgung Yeon, whose eyes widened in surprise.
Embarrassed by my own reaction, I moved quickly.
“You needn’t worry about anything. I’ll handle it.”
“Yes….”
Leaving my brother with his head bowed, I stepped outside.
Yet despite my confident words, I had nowhere to go.
Moryeong Hyeok, whom I’d always dragged along and exploited, still lay bedridden. With the Black Ox Society eliminated, even the bandits had grown quiet. And that was only the beginning.
When the bandits fell silent, the mountain brigades that should have been rampaging were instead tearing themselves apart in civil strife, with all seventy-two factions claiming they should be king. The largest pleasure house in the red-light district, which occasionally provided guard work, had suddenly locked its doors, and its proprietor vanished without a trace.
And on top of all that, the government offices.
With the previous Emperor dead and a new one ascended, a storm of blood swept through the capital.
The county magistrate had been arrested and never returned, leaving the government offices sealed shut with no intention of reopening.
Thus, I had nowhere to turn.
I gazed up at the sky.
Today, the heavens felt more resentful than ever.
Eventually, I sighed and set off down the road.
I could go hungry.
He/She can go hungry.
But I couldn’t let my younger brother suffer the same fate.
With him already growing gaunt from recent hunger, I had to do something immediately to put food on the table.
Fish seemed like the most obvious choice.
I could catch them without venturing too deep into the mountains.
As I was contemplating this, something caught my eye.
A large, ornate carriage entered Namgung Baek’s field of vision.
It cut through the throngs of people in the marketplace and came to a halt before the Unryong Inn, where a familiar figure descended from within.
“…Young Master Jin!”
Namgung Baek stared intently at Jin Cheon-u, murmuring his name.
What was he doing in a place like this?
Under normal circumstances, I would have fled the moment I saw his face, but now was not the time to dwell on ominous dreams and such nonsense.
Namgung Baek steadied his breathing and rushed toward him.
His family’s hunger drove him forward.

* * *

“We’ve finally arrived.”
“I thought I’d die of boredom.”
The moment the carriage stopped before the Unryong Inn, Chaeseoha, her eyes hollow with exhaustion, let out a long sigh and hurriedly opened the door to step out.
The urgency to escape was palpable in her every movement.
She was not alone in this sentiment.
Jang Chuchyeong also descended hastily.
Gu Gunbaek’s skill as a coachman was truly remarkable.
We had arrived ten days faster than anticipated.
But such speed came with its own consequences.
No matter how large and fine the carriage we had procured, the rapid pace meant it rattled constantly.
After riding in it for over a month, anyone would have been exhausted.
As I dragged my weary body from the carriage, a sigh of relief naturally escaped my lips.
“…You’ve arrived, Young Master!”
“I trust you’ve been well?”
“Ha, well, I’m always doing fine. But I’ve prepared your rooms, so please come inside.”
I nodded at the inn manager’s words.
Just as I was about to follow him inside.
A familiar presence made itself known from behind.
Glancing back over my shoulder, I recognized the approaching figure.
He had clearly run here in haste, breathing heavily as he approached, and bowed deeply before me.
“It’s been a long time, Young Master!”
“You are…?”
“Ah…! As expected, you don’t remember me. Ha, I suppose I lack presence. Yes. Nam… Namgung Baek. From the time of the Black Ox Society….”
“Ah-.”
When I let out a short exclamation as if suddenly remembering him, I saw Namgung Baek’s expression brighten.
He seemed to think that I had finally remembered him.
I smiled faintly and looked at him.
“But what brings you here? Is there something you need from me…?”
“Ah, well… that is….”
Namgung Baek’s face showed he didn’t know what to say.
Before, we had conversed comfortably, he had even bought me meals, and had even suggested I work under him.
To anyone watching, we appeared to have considerable rapport.
But hearing his different tone and voice now, I couldn’t help but feel the distance between us clearly.
His thoughts must have shifted considerably by now—the conviction with which he had rejected my proposal, the belief that I should simply continue living as I had been.
After all, there were no shortage of people who couldn’t bear to see the Namgung Clan prosper.
That’s why he stood before me now.
I smiled again and regarded Namgung Baek.
I could see the expression of someone turning over complicated thoughts.
The only way to break through this situation was to accept the proposal he had made before.
“That….”
“The long journey has left me quite exhausted. If there’s nothing else you need….”
“…Please buy me that meal I couldn’t have last time!”
At his sudden words, I was so taken aback that I momentarily lost my composure.

* * *

Within the ornate annex of the Unryong Inn, a lavish spread of dishes had materialized before us.
Chopsticks moved with fervent purpose as everyone savored this rare feast, a luxury long absent from their lives.
Gu Gunbaek savored fine spirits while plucking delicacies to accompany his drink, while Jang Chuchyeong stuffed his mouth with meat, his expression radiating pure contentment.
Yet two among us were different.
Chopsticks moved with relentless urgency.
Chaeseoha’s gaze remained fixed solely upon the dishes before her, never glancing elsewhere as she continuously shoved food into her mouth.
The habits of her impoverished past lingered—that desperate compulsion to consume whenever sustenance appeared within reach.
As the saying goes, habits formed at three persist until eighty; even death and resurrection could not break such ingrained patterns.
Conversely, another wielded chopsticks with frantic purpose, though for entirely different reasons.
None other than Namgung Baek.
He monitored the rapidly emptying bowls with keen attention, methodically stacking food into another vessel.
This was no act of consumption—it appeared he was preparing provisions for someone else.
As I regarded him with an expression of bewilderment, Namgung Baek finally noticed my gaze after concentrating intently on his task, offering me a sheepish smile.
“Ah, my apologies. My younger brother hasn’t been eating well lately, you see, and he’s grown quite thin. Ha, haha.”
“If there are leftovers, I can have them wrapped for you. Why not simply eat?”
“I suspect there won’t be any leftovers. Hahaha….”
Namgung Baek offered an awkward laugh, his eyes darting sideways.
Chaeseoha continued devouring her meal with ravenous urgency, rapidly emptying bowls, while Jang Chuchyeong selected only the most delectable morsels for himself.
Witnessing this spectacle, I clicked my tongue and turned away.
The door opened, and a woman who appeared to be a servant entered.
“Please prepare some delicious food to take with you. Give it to this person when they depart.”
“Understood.”
“…Young master, you needn’t go to such lengths….”
“Didn’t you ask me to purchase food you couldn’t afford last time? So please, eat it. Pack what’s for the person at home and take it with you.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
Namgung Baek hastily bowed his head, offering his gratitude repeatedly. Tears glistened at the corners of his eyes, revealing the depth of hardship he had endured.
Simply observing the sincerity radiating from his gaze and expression, I realized I had inadvertently created quite a substantial debt of gratitude.
I let out a soft chuckle.
“You’ve had a difficult time, it seems.”
“Ah, yes. Well… nothing has gone smoothly for me. Sigh— my life has been anything but smooth sailing, truly.”
Namgung Baek proceeded to ramble on about the various misfortunes that had befallen him.
Without Moryeong Hyeok, he couldn’t collect his bribes; with the Black Ox Society dissolved, there were no bandits to hunt; the mountain bandits had fractured internally, causing the pleasure district’s establishments to collapse overnight; even the government offices had closed their doors, denying him work.
As these calamities compounded upon one another, his opportunities dwindled steadily. He vented his grievances at length, cursing the heavens for his misfortune.
Yet something peculiar emanated from those around us.
With each word from his lips, all eyes turned toward me.
When he mentioned Moryeong Hyeok, Gu Gunbaek’s gaze sharpened; at the mention of the Black Ox Society, both Jang Chuchyeong and Chaeseoha narrowed their eyes; and when he spoke of the Emperor, everyone’s expressions grew stern.
As though I were the architect of all these calamities.
“What is it?”
“Nothing at all. Did I perhaps regard you with strange eyes?”
“That’s right. It’s simply that you appear particularly impressive today.”
Jang Chuchyeong and Chaeseoha hastily redirected the conversation, turning their gazes away.
Gu Gunbaek, seemingly losing interest, let out a soft chuckle before raising the bottle to his lips again, bringing the remaining appetizers to his mouth.
I furrowed my brow and looked back at Namgung Baek.
“By the way, what about the Chohyeon Clan? It seems like your relationship with the Namgung Clan isn’t particularly good.”
“Ah- what does good or bad relations matter? To them, we’re nothing but insignificant fools. Haha, they occasionally visit and even provide us with work.”
“They give you work? You mean the Chohyeon Clan?”
“Yes, they come by to inspect things from time to time.”
Namgung Baek didn’t seem particularly concerned about such circumstances.
But he was a cunning fox, this Namgung Baek.
There was no way he didn’t understand what that situation truly meant.
Just as Moryeong Hyeok dragged Namgung Baek around, humiliating and crushing him, the Chohyeon Clan was likewise maintaining constant surveillance, anticipating any unforeseen troubles.
They wouldn’t visit without purpose—they threw him work as a means of control.
It seemed many still harbored fear of the Namgung Clan in various quarters.
Though he spoke as if it were trivial, Namgung Baek understood it all, choosing instead to conceal everything about himself and maintain absolute humility.
That was his method of survival.
I let out a soft laugh and turned my gaze toward the window.
A familiar presence emanated from somewhere.
It wasn’t only I who sensed it—Gu Gunbaek, who had been drinking, also looked toward the window before glancing at me.
Soon, a figure came into view through the window.
“We have a visitor.”
The one entering the Unryong Inn without hesitation was unmistakably—
Ma Hyeong-chu.

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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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