The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 315
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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 315
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I could take no action until Mo Ryeong-san made his move.
Mo Ryeong-san, stitching together Sa Myeong-gyeom’s corpse, spent the time as though performing a solemn ritual.
I couldn’t even begin to guess how much time had passed.
Mo Ryeong-san’s hands moved busily as he pierced the body, and each time the needle passed through flesh, a nauseating sound of tissue clinging and separating scraped against my ears.
The obsession with forcibly joining together hardened, blood-caked flesh bordered on madness itself.
Though the scene was revolting enough to make me retch, all I could do was keep my gaze fixed upon it without wavering.
“Hohoho— at last it is finished.”
Finally, Mo Ryeong-san’s laughter reached my ears.
With a satisfied gaze and expression, he stared at his handiwork for a time, then uttered a strange murmur—and one of the Huncheon Gangsi lifted Sa Myeong-gyeom’s corpse effortlessly, hoisting it onto its back.
Though a human corpse should have been heavy, the way it stood with the body on its back, as though carrying nothing but cotton, was unnaturally chilling.
Snap—!
Then.
Mo Ryeong-san’s gaze, brimming with satisfaction, swept across the surroundings once more, and soon he called out, urging the Huncheon Gangsi onward.
“Now finish tidying up. Mountains ought to be kept clean.”
At that, the other corpses standing nearby simultaneously reached into their waists and withdrew jade vials.
They moved as though alive, spreading out across the area, and began opening the strange jade vials and pouring their contents over the scattered corpses.
A green vapor erupted from the vials, engulfing the bodies.
Flesh dissolved in an instant, exposing bone, which then crumbled to powder and scattered into the air on the wind.
All those corpses vanished cleanly, as though paper burning in flame, leaving not a single bone fragment behind.
A pungent stench erupted from all directions, assaulting my nose and triggering a headache along with a cough.
I endured it.
I forcibly suppressed the cough threatening to burst forth, clamping my mouth shut.
In that moment.
Mo Yong-cheon, who stood motionless yet radiated an overwhelming presence, turned his gaze toward the tree where I was hidden.
His pupils dilated sharply.
Simultaneously, as a single leaf on my shoulder slipped and fell with a faint sound, I held my breath as tightly as possible and narrowed my eyes.
Thump-thump—
My heart pounded wildly, and as I struggled to suppress it, Mo Yong-cheon’s body began to turn toward me once more.
In that instant, I too carefully grasped my sword.
“Did I not tell you to remain still?”
Thud—
Then, Mo Ryeong-san’s voice suddenly rang out, capturing Mo Yong-cheon’s attention. The body he had begun to turn stilled, and his gaze withdrew, returning to where it had been fixed.
Was Mo Ryeong-san greatly satisfied with this?
Observing him, he maintained a smile of contentment throughout.
And so more time passed once again.
As the Huncheon Gangsi finished clearing the area and gathered one by one, Mo Ryeong-san finally nodded his head.
“Let’s move.”
Jingle—!
With the bell’s chime ringing out once more, Mo Ryeong-san surged forward. The moment his feet left the ground, the Huncheon Gangsi moved like obedient hounds following their master’s lead.
Their procession, dissolving into the landscape like mist, seemed endless and stretched on for an eternity.
As the figures faded from sight and their presence vanished completely into the distance, I exhaled a long breath and released the tension coiled within me.
“Haah—.”
Only then could I descend from the tree, my rigid body finally relaxing.
I turned my gaze and surveyed my surroundings.
There were no more corpses.
Not a single one.
Yet the blood remained.
The bloodstains scattered across the area would make anyone believe a war had erupted here, leaving deep questions about the vanished bodies.
I shook my head and sighed.
Then I narrowed my eyes, watching the direction Mo Ryeong-san had disappeared.
“I knew he was mad, but I never expected him to touch even the Sword Emperor.”
The most bizarre of the Twelve Corners.
Mo Ryeong-san, the footnote of Consciousness.
Unlike the other Twelve Corners who employed living subordinates, only Mo Ryeong-san himself drew breath—his hands and feet were nothing but lifeless corpses.
Because of this, his numbers were overwhelmingly superior to the other Twelve Corners.
Such a group was already troublesome on its own, but with the Sword Emperor Muyong Jungcheon now among them, their overall strength had become considerably more formidable.
“This is not good.”
The Huncheon Gangsi were fundamentally different from ordinary corpses.
Their skin was as hard as diamond, resistant even to blades, and their movements were as nimble as beasts.
Most critically, they retained the martial prowess and inner force they possessed in life.
Moreover, all the physical constraints that bind living humans—limitations, pain—
were completely stripped away from them.
I recalled the moment I had killed the Sword Emperor Muyong Jungcheon.
That figure which seemed unworthy of the title Sword Emperor.
But now it was different.
A more merciless and perfect monster than when alive.
Perhaps this current form was the one most befitting the title “Sword Emperor.”
No, I was certain it was even more than that.
“I had overlooked Mo Ryeong-san.”
I pressed my forehead and muttered quietly.
The problem was that I had grown too careless, assuming he wouldn’t appear at this point in time as he hadn’t in the past.
The bitter taste of regret lingered in my chest.
But it was already in the past.
There was no time to dwell on regret.
There was only one thing I could do now.
I could only be grateful for this realization, however late, and prepare accordingly.
I steadied my breathing, cast aside my scattered thoughts, loosened my rigid body, and turned my gaze to absorb the surrounding landscape.
Thanks to Mo Ryeong-san clearing away the mist, the terrain revealed itself.
Surveying all directions, a familiar ridge came into view.
“Songshan Mountain…”
I had dozed off briefly when departing Beijing, but it seemed I had been dragged far greater distances than I had anticipated.
Yet that was acceptable.
It meant I had shortened the remaining distance considerably.
I quickly oriented myself and deployed my lightness technique.
My destination was unmistakable.
First, I would head to Henan.
There was something I needed to verify.
* * *
“When will he arrive?”
Chu Hyeongi, sweeping the courtyard with a broom, gazed long at the empty master’s quarters of the annex before exhaling a sigh.
The time for his return had long since passed, yet still no word came, and worry gnawed at him.
As he turned his gaze away with a deep sigh, he noticed Cheon Yul wedged between Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo, the three having grown quite familiar with one another.
Judging by their leisurely conversation and stroll, they seemed to have abandoned all pretense of propriety long ago.
Were they heading to the training grounds?
Surely they intended to exchange blows.
“These madmen obsessed with fighting… the moment their eyes open, it’s nothing but swordplay?”
Swish— swish swish—
Chu Hyeongi resumed sweeping as he spoke, his broom working steadily across the ground.
As he watched the soiled courtyard gradually become clean, the frustration that had weighed on his heart seemed to lift slightly.
He wiped away his sweat with a bright smile, satisfied with his work, when a blunt voice reached his ears.
“Why not continue serving as a servant? You seem quite suited to it.”
Chu Hyeongi turned to see Namgung Yeon approaching.
Her wet hair hung loosely, as though she had just finished training and bathed.
Chu Hyeongi smiled at her appearance.
“Look at this courtyard! Should I trade it for your room? This is far cleaner, isn’t it?”
“…What did you say?”
“Hmm? No? I passed by earlier and it was absolutely filthy. Like a pigsty.”
Namgung Yeon’s eyes widened with fierce intensity.
Yet her flushed face and inability to speak seemed to confirm that her room was indeed as dirty as he claimed.
Did he find this amusing?
Chu Hyeongi grinned mischievously and waved his hand dismissively.
“So don’t bother picking a fight over something you can’t even defend. Off you go. Shoo, shoo—”
“Ugh?!”
Namgung Yeon’s irritation only deepened at his leisurely remark.
With her eyes blazing wide, she was about to hurl another caustic retort when—
“Were you here?”
Gu Gunbaek’s sudden appearance silenced her words.
Both their gazes naturally turned toward him.
They regarded Gu Gunbaek as he approached, his eyes brimming with questions.
“What brings you here, Captain Gu? You’ve searched all the way to this place. The Young Master isn’t here.”
“Ha, I didn’t come looking for the Young Master. Rather, there’s something Lady Namgung should know.”
“Something I should know?”
Gu Gunbaek nodded and scratched his head.
Struggling to find the right words, he swallowed a groan before exhaling deeply and speaking matter-of-factly.
“A moment ago, I went to the marketplace and saw your brother with some companions.”
“My older brother wouldn’t have friends in Luoyang.”
“Indeed, so I looked more carefully and discovered they were people from the Changryong Dan.”
At the mention of the Changryong Dan, Namgung Yeon’s brow furrowed.
Though they say it has dissolved, the humiliation her brother Namgung Baek suffered at their hands—centered around Moryeong Hyeok—remains unhealed.
Thus, it was a name she could not regard favorably either.
Namgung Yeon, her brow creased, quickly turned to leave.
As she moved with swift steps, one could sense her expression had grown darker than ever before.
The moment she stepped beyond the manor toward the marketplace—
For some reason, she stopped and glanced to the side.
“Why are you following me?”
“Following? You’re part of our household, so I’m just going to see what’s happening.”
Chu Hyeongi, who had fallen into step beside her, spoke casually. His expression was remarkably shameless, making it abundantly clear he had no concern for her opinion whatsoever.
Her furrowed brow gave way to a venomous tone.
“Go back. I’ll handle this myself.”
“If I leave this to you, won’t we lose face?”
“…What did you just say?!”
“Why aren’t you moving faster? Will you take responsibility if something goes wrong?”
At his urging tone, she shot Chu Hyeongi a piercing glare.
Yet, as he said, there was no time to waste, so she began accelerating once more.
As if trying to make up for even the brief moment of hesitation.
Did his words provoke Namgung Yeon’s competitive spirit?
Chu Hyeongi, now casually keeping pace beside her, urged her on.
“Faster, faster!”
“…!”
Though she was desperately unleashing her lightness technique, Chu Hyeongi matched her speed effortlessly, his expression brimming with composure.
As if he still possessed considerable room to accelerate further.
This provoked Namgung Yeon’s pride.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed off the ground with all her might, and Chu Hyeongi responded by increasing his speed, pursuing her from behind.
Whoosh—
Both of them moved at a frenzied pace, yet with remarkable agility.
The way they dodged passersby and leaped over obstacles left people staring in slack-jawed amazement.
The moment they arrived at the marketplace.
“Hah, hah, hah….”
Namgung Yeon couldn’t contain his ragged breathing and let it out, while Chu Hyeongi smoothed out her slightly disheveled breath and smirked.
Then she looked at him with a satisfied expression, teasing.
“I’m incredibly fast, aren’t I?”
“Ptui!”
An offended Namgung Yeon spat.
Her gesture clearly conveyed her displeasure, and Chu Hyeongi shrugged, turning his gaze to take in the marketplace scenery.
After a moment of thought, he pointed to one direction.
“You go that way, I’ll go this way.”
“…Why are we splitting up?”
“Why waste time with both of us searching the same place? I know you don’t want to be apart from me, but bear with it.”
“Ptui!”
She spat again and launched her body forward.
Watching her disappear in an instant, Chu Hyeongi’s lips curved into a deep smile as he flared his nostrils and began to sniff.
As if there had been no need to search from the beginning.
After sniffing for a while, tracking Namgung Baek’s scent, his eyes suddenly gleamed with certainty and he began to move.
“This fellow seems to have quite a few friends.”
Chu Hyeongi, moving swiftly forward, furrowed his brow.
Mixed within Namgung Baek’s strong scent was the smell of blood.
Along with that scent, five or six unfamiliar scents also lingered.
They were quite far from the marketplace now.
Considering the direction and distance of the scent, a place came to mind.
The place where Jin Cheon-u had cut down Hong Gu-hyeon.
A perfect spot to beat someone senseless without anyone knowing.
“Of all places, why there?”
The moment Hong Gu-hyeon’s final moments flashed before his eyes, Chu Hyeongi’s brow furrowed, and he quickly shook his head, dispelling the image from his mind.
Then he began to accelerate even further.
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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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