The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 32

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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 32

His momentum was different from before.
A power entirely unlike when he had been toying with us carelessly.
An ordinary person would not have been able to move even a single finger under such force.
The problem was that this still wasn’t his true strength.
Gu Gunbaek recalled the fight at the inn, gauging only the level of power that Jang Chuchyeong and I could endure, and he wasn’t unleashing anything beyond that.
But the issue was that even this level represented a precarious line between life and death for us.
I glanced sideways at Jang Chuchyeong beside me.
His complexion had turned ashen, and his hands trembled visibly.
Yet there was no sign of surrender in him—his eyes blazed fiercely as he stared at Gu Gunbaek.
“Can you manage this?”
“If I say no, we can escape?”
“Does he look like he’ll let us go peacefully?”
Jang Chuchyeong shook his head at my question.
Gu Gunbaek, radiating such overwhelming momentum, was deadly serious.
I could feel that there was no way to escape from his grasp no matter what we tried.
Without thinking, I steadied my breathing and drew my sword.
Then.
Gu Gunbaek, who had been quietly observing the situation, swept his hand through the air.
Whoooosh!
In an instant, wind howled and dust erupted everywhere.
The dirt from the torn earth flew at us with brutal force.
As Jang Chuchyeong and I threw ourselves in opposite directions, Gu Gunbaek appeared before him as if he had anticipated it.
Boom!
“Gack!”
A fist crashed across his face.
The force sent Chuchyeong’s body flying, but Gu Gunbaek extended his hand, seized his foot, and drove him straight into the ground.
Crash!
“Aaaahhh!”
A scream tore through the air as blood sprayed from his mouth.
But there was no time to cry out in pain.
Gu Gunbaek mercilessly launched himself forward, preparing to strike Chuchyeong’s chest once more.
I seized that moment and moved in.
A technique I had already mastered.
I maneuvered my sword skillfully to disrupt Gu Gunbaek’s flow.
At that instant.
I saw Gu Gunbaek’s eyes widen slightly as he looked at me.
“Hahaha! Good observation, but too shallow!”
I deflected the incoming sword with a light movement of my hand, then closed the distance in a single breath and threw a punch.
Whoosh!
The punch came flying with a sound as if it would tear the very air asunder.
In that instant, I shifted my body.
I stepped forward once more, burrowing into his guard.
As the gap narrowed, Gu Gunbaek’s eyes widened in surprise.
There was no space left to swing his fists.
But would such a thing work against him?
Gu Gunbaek clenched his fists tightly and unleashed his power, and the spiritual energy radiating from his fists erupted forth in an instant.
“Hrraaah!”
At that moment, Jang Chuchyeong rushed in from behind Gu Gunbaek and swung his fist. His punch struck precisely into the abdomen.
Thud—!
A punch thrown without holding back even a fraction of his strength.
Gu Gunbaek, who had taken the full force of Jang Chuchyeong’s attack, stared at him with a dazed expression for a moment, then let out a low chuckle and moved his body.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
A fist flew toward his face, and he grabbed him by the hair, hurling him to the ground. As Jang Chuchyeong tumbled across the earth, he had no time to gather his senses before Gu Gunbaek stomped down, kicking up the ground.
The earth heaved and split, then surged forward like a tsunami toward Jang Chuchyeong.
“This insane bastard!”
Jang Chuchyeong hurriedly threw himself forward, crashing through into the dilapidated warehouse building.
Crash—!
A pile of earth covered the warehouse, but Gu Gunbaek’s movements did not cease.
“What? What?!”
Jang Chuchyeong gasped in shock at the sight unfolding before his eyes. Gu Gunbaek grasped a perfectly healthy tree with one hand and uprooted it, then casually hurled it forward.
“Kyaaaah?!”
The sight of him tossing such a massive tree as if it were nothing was astounding enough, but the speed at which the tree flew toward the warehouse was utterly insane.
So fast that even I was left speechless.
Crash—!
As the tree embedded itself into the building, unsatisfied still, he charged forward and swung his fist.
A bestial aura erupted fearfully, engulfing the warehouse building.
Boom—!
An impossible display of strength.
The warehouse building that had been before my eyes turned to ash and vanished.
All that remained were scattered debris and the figure of Jang Chuchyeong lying on the ground.
Drip—
Blood poured from his mouth and nose as he stifled a groan.
His body trembled violently as he struggled to rise, but his internal injuries were already severe, and he could scarcely lift himself from the ground.
“Hehehehe! So you’re quite the specimen. And you survived that?”
“Cough! You… you damned… dog…”
“Your mouth seems rather loose.”
Thwack!
Gu Gunbaek extended his leg in a deceptively casual motion, sweeping it across Jang Chuchyeong’s face. To any observer, the kick appeared light and effortless, yet it carried enough force to lift Jang Chuchyeong’s entire body off the ground.
Gu Gunbaek seized the airborne Jang Chuchyeong by the collar.
He gazed at the trembling opponent for a moment, then flashed a wicked grin before hurling him in my direction.
“An interesting one. If he could only master his strength properly, he’d become quite the specimen.”
I watched Jang Chuchyeong tumble across the ground.
His appearance was ghastly, but mercifully, he still drew breath.
Though Gu Gunbaek’s assault had seemed relentless, he’d deliberately pulled back his power at critical moments—which was the only reason Jang Chuchyeong remained alive.
Without thinking, I shook my head and looked toward Gu Gunbaek. The moment our eyes met, I saw him break into a playful smile.
Was this still not enough for him?
Gu Gunbaek then pointed a finger in my direction.
“And you. There’s been something strange about you since earlier. Have we met before?”
“No, we haven’t.”
“Yet you read my moves?”
I responded with a silent shrug.
I could read his moves because I had experienced them countless times before.
Gu Gunbaek’s brow furrowed at my silence.
He then swung his arms in wide circles before settling into a fighting stance.
“Shall we continue?”
“I’ve finally found something entertaining. I can’t end it so easily.”
“I have no objection to continuing, but the village appears to be disappearing. Is that acceptable?”
“Huh?”
At my words, Gu Gunbaek glanced around.
So consumed by the fight, he had paid no attention to anything else, but now the surrounding devastation finally registered in his eyes.
The inn had collapsed, and the warehouse building had vanished without a trace.
That was not all.
The relentless tremors from our clash had caused houses and buildings throughout the area to crumble, as if an earthquake had struck.
The displaced residents stared at us, trembling with fear.
Gu Gunbaek scratched his head at the sight.
This was no mere slash-and-burn village.
It was Nok-rim Village.
A settlement built to house the families of the Green Forest Bandits from the main stronghold.
In essence, the man called the Green Forest King had just devastated the homes where his own subordinates’ families lived—a catastrophic turn of events.
I observed this and smiled.
“If you stop here, I shall restore it for you.”
“What? You’ll restore it?”
“Quite thoroughly. I promise to rebuild it even sturdier and finer than before.”
“Hmm…”
Gu Gunbaek appeared to be wrestling with the decision.
The fight had been far too enjoyable for him to wish it to end. After all, he was a man who cared nothing whether the Green Forest Bandits prospered or perished.
But I take pride in being a martial artist.
Most of the people in this village are ordinary folk.
If we continue fighting, far greater casualties will surely result, which means Gu Gunbaek cannot afford to continue either.
I subtly flashed my money pouch and smiled.
“Will you continue?”

* * *
“W-what in the world is this?”
“Right, why… are two people from the Nakhyang Jin Family here?”
Murmuring voices echoed from all corners.
All eyes turned toward me, while others fixed upon Jang Chuchyeong, who hung across Gu Gunbaek’s shoulders.
Gu Gunbaek, who had said he was going to the village to buy alcohol, returned bearing two strange lumps, so whispers erupted from every direction without cease.
“…Could it be that the King resolved this?”
“Now that you mention it! That fellow lying there must be the one who mocked us!”
“R-right!”
“As expected of the King! Just when it seemed he wasn’t concerned with us, he took action like this!”
“Hahaha! He’s completely done in! My heart feels so relieved.”
With each voice that rang out, the bandits’ gazes fixed upon the fallen Jang Chuchyeong.
Since it was he who had captured bandits on the way here, to preserve the Green Forest’s honor, we absolutely had to apprehend him.
And Gu Gunbaek had done so of his own accord.
Though he likely acted merely for amusement, the result undeniably benefited the Green Forest.
Then Gu Gunbaek took his seat at the head position.
He casually tossed the sprawled Jang Chuchyeong beside him, creating an unmistakable impression of victor and vanquished.
The Green Forest’s morale soared to the heavens.
I stood there motionless, watching Gu Gunbaek.
He listened to the cheers while picking at his ear with an air of annoyance.
Then, as if he could bear it no longer, he casually raised his hand, and the cheers from all directions ceased instantly—a rare sight indeed.
Only then, satisfied, did he nod and look toward me.
I had to speak first.
I needed to be as respectful as possible, yet make absolutely clear that I was not the source of this trouble.
“I offer my apologies for this incident. However, please understand that it was the Green Forest who escalated matters between Hochi Fortress and myself.”
“Hmph! I know.”
“We are the Nakhyang Jin Family. There is no reason for us to be at odds with the Green Forest, and I hope our favorable relations will continue. For that reason, we shall overlook this matter and rebuild the Lower Village anew. This is the Jin Family’s way of apologizing.”
The Green Forest members’ eyes widened in surprise at these words.
The Lower Village was larger than one might think.
Completely rebuilding it meant an astronomical sum of money.
To hear that the Nakhyang Jin Family would do this without spending a single coin, joy was inevitable.
Of course, they felt joy only because they hadn’t yet heard the full situation of the Lower Village.
If they knew that most families would have to live on the streets with nothing but cloth until the village was restored, such expressions would never appear.
In any case, the Green Forest members’ eyes instantly turned toward Gu Gunbaek.
Gu Gunbaek, meeting my gaze, did not refuse and nodded his head.
“I accept the Jin Family’s apology. Furthermore, from this moment onward, if any member of the Green Forest dares to attack the Jin Family, I will not stand idle.”
“Uwaaaaah!”
At Gu Gunbaek’s declaration, the cheers of the Green Forest Bandits grew even louder.
Since all these accomplishments became his alone, the eyes of the Green Forest Sect members gazing upon him gleamed with even deeper reverence.
As Gu Gunbaek listened quietly to the cheers of the Green Forest Sect, he glanced at the fallen Jang Chuchyeong, and for some reason, a smile spread across his face with a soft laugh.
The very same expression as back then.
Gu Gunbaek rose from his seat.
Perhaps because of his towering height and massive frame, people’s gazes naturally converged upon him.
Those who had been clamoring loudly fell silent in an instant.
Only then did Gu Gunbaek’s voice flow forth.
“And one more thing.”
“What might that be?”
I posed the question while pretending ignorance of everything I already knew.
At that, Gu Gunbaek’s expression brightened further, and he laughed again, carefully composing his voice before revealing his true intention.
“You—become my disciple.”
Yes, he would take Jang Chuchyeong as his disciple.
As those words reached my ears, the smile at the corners of my mouth deepened. Yet strangely, Gu Gunbaek’s eyes were fixed not on the fallen Jang Chuchyeong, but on me.
Moreover, the gaze of every Green Forest Bandit was the same.
In that moment, memories and voices rewound, echoing through my mind once more, and I realized that there had been no mention of the name Jang Chuchyeong, and I found myself asking in confusion.
“Pardon?”
“That is to say—you become my disciple.”
I saw Gu Gunbaek’s extended finger, as if delivering a final confirmation, pointing directly at me.
What in the world is this nonsense?
My mind went blank at this incomprehensible situation.

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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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