The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 321

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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 321

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A Shadow Figure clad in a hooded martial robe, completely concealed from head to toe, trudged through the mountains for quite some time before pausing to catch her breath, exhausted. Unable to discern where she was, she swept her round eyes across the surroundings before retrieving a map from her garment to check it.
“No matter how much I look, I can’t figure it out…”
Unlike the place she had come from, why were there so many mountains here?
Everywhere she looked, there were only thickets, rocks, trees, and treacherous terrain.
Despite moving while consulting the map as much as possible, all these landscapes looked identical to the unfamiliar Shadow Figure.
She scratched her head and sighed, resuming her walk.
One way or another, having come this far, eventually another village would appear as she continued walking, and she could simply rely on the locals’ information once more.
Making light of the situation, the Shadow Figure pressed forward, but suddenly stopped at an unexpected presence and turned to look at one direction.
“Gahahaha—! Here’s someone foolish enough to wander through the territory of the New Luolin Fortress!”
Clang, clang—
Along with the deafening voice, numerous bandits revealed themselves.
All dressed in typical bandit garb with fierce expressions.
Whether it was because their appearance unmistakably marked them as mountain folk, or because she was relieved to encounter people in this bewildering situation, the Shadow Figure’s eyes sparkled.
“Might you know where this place is?”
“Haha! What? Where? Where else! It’s Longmen Mountain, where the New Luolin Fortress stronghold stands!”
At the mention of Longmen Mountain, the Shadow Figure pulled out her map again. She carefully examined the name of the mountain the man had mentioned, and her eyes sparkled as she found it.
“Thank you for telling me.”
The Shadow Figure bowed respectfully, then looked around to confirm the cardinal directions.
Now that she had determined her location, all that remained was to set her direction.
As the Shadow Figure turned westward and began walking slowly, the gathered bandits could not hide their confusion at this incomprehensible situation.
“We should grab her!”
“I know! I was just startled!”
The bandit leader’s body shot forward, blocking the Shadow Figure’s path, and he threatened her by brandishing the broad blade in his hand.
The Shadow Figure’s footsteps naturally came to a halt.
“What…are you doing?”
“Ahem! Can’t you see! When you meet bandits—you get robbed first!”
The bandit leader’s broad blade flashed like lightning.
The blade descended, cutting through the air, aimed not at her neck but at the hood covering her head.
But faster than that was her head’s movement.
Following the trajectory of her slightly tilted head, the deep blue cloth fluttered away, and the blade, having lost its target, sliced through empty air.
As the hood was torn away by the passing wind, a pale face was revealed.
In that instant, the air froze.
With just one face, their entire world seemed to stop momentarily.
“…!”
“Gasp!”
Short, ragged breaths burst forth like hollow wind.
Some dropped the swords they gripped; others could not breathe at all.
Like those drowning in a quagmire, none could tear their gaze away.
Forgetting even what they should do.
Yet the eyes of the Shadow Figure receiving their stares were glacial.
Had she perceived their hostility from the way they aimed their blades?
Her narrowed eyes remained fixed upon the men, and soon there emanated not a sharp killing intent, but a bone-chilling coldness that seemed to freeze the very body itself.
The Shadow Figure slowly gripped her sword.
Shing—
The moment the scabbard opened, the keen blade exhaled its presence.
White breath poured forth like vapor, coiling around the entire blade and radiating such frigid cold that even the flowing wind and air itself seemed to crystallize.
And then—
A biting gale of cold steel swept forth.
“…What?!”
“S… Save us!”
By the time they belatedly grasped the situation, it was already too late.
In her eyes, now that she had confirmed their hostility, mercy no longer existed—as if to demonstrate what it meant to point a blade at her.
The frigid sword moved, cleaving through the wind.
With utterly merciless precision.

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Whether in an inn or the marketplace, wherever people gathered, tongues were bound to wag. Thus, countless voices overlapped and intertwined, pouring forth all manner of tales.
Among them were stories I had no desire to hear.
For instance, whether someone had severed the manhood of an unfaithful husband?
Or how a man unable to repay his gambling debts had become the husband of an eighty-year-old woman.
As I listened to such trivial and petty gossip, a bitter smile escaped my lips unbidden.
For within that sea of mundane chatter, another story had reached my ears.
It was the descent of Mu-jin and the public declaration of merit by the Sword Emperor.
While people cheered and laughed with joy at how Tae-hwang, one of the Three Sovereigns of Jeongdo, had gone to the Martial Arts Alliance to aid Gonghuang, they seemed considerably shocked by the Sword Emperor’s declaration of merit.
The Sword Emperor, once called the Number One Sword Sect under heaven, now bearing the title of “Martial Arts Public Enemy.”
That shock was enough to dominate the conversation at drinking tables for quite some time.
“I never thought it would come to this.”
“I know, right? But… looking at the circumstances, it makes sense.”
“Exactly. He tried to kill the Young Master of the Jin Family right there within the Martial Arts Alliance. And on top of that, he disappeared without any sign of remorse.”
“And the Moyong Family tried to brush it all aside so carelessly—tsk, tsk.”
In a corner of the Yunryong Inn.
I listened intently while eating my noodles.
The voices of the drunk grew louder, and many gnashed their teeth in anger.
Not only had he torn a hole in the reputation of the Martial Arts Alliance, but he had vanished without resolving the matter—to the Jeongdo leadership, he was no different from a traitor.
I smiled faintly and resumed moving my chopsticks.
I turned my attention elsewhere, listening carefully, but I heard nothing of significant note regarding the Shadow Figure.
Had they completely disappeared without a trace?
I exhaled softly, set down my chopsticks, and rose from my seat. It was then that I caught the voices of others from a distance away.
“Did you hear? The bandits who settled on Yongmun Mountain got dealt with.”
“Haha! The bandits’ reputation is falling straight to the depths of hell. So, who did it? Could it be… that person?”
“That’s right! The Masked Martial Artist! Wow—truly remarkable. He purged the vicious heretical sect in Shanxi, and now he’s making waves in Jeongdo territory!”
“Hehe, if only he would just make waves. You know how it is. The matter with Sogyeongmun and the Uxeon Family.”
“Right. Beyond that, there have been many small clashes. I hear that in several places, people are grinding their teeth and searching for him?”
The Masked Martial Artist.
At that alias, I furrowed my brow.
Searching through my memories of the past, I tried to deduce their identity, but no matter how much I rummaged, nothing emerged.
As if they had never existed.
Perhaps they were someone from Singyeo or Gwanbaek’s faction, or perhaps in this diverging timeline, someone I had never anticipated had appeared.
Considering these three possibilities, I left the inn.
“So all I’ve gained is knowledge of the Masked Martial Artist?”
Small rumors often concealed greater truths, so I had attempted to use them to gauge the movements of Singyeo or Gwanbaek.
What I had gained was one thing.
The emergence of someone I knew nothing about?
Lost in thought once more, I was moving slowly when—
A peculiar presence made itself known, standing before me.
“Have you been well all this time?”
At the sound of the voice, I turned my gaze and saw Baek Jin-hwa standing there motionless.
Without thinking, I studied her intently before tilting my head in confusion.
The fact that Baek Jin-hwa, who moves the Luoyang Ha Omun, appeared before me meant something had happened.
“Do you have another favor to ask of me?”
“Hehe— No, not at all. I was simply returning from meeting someone, and when I spotted you, I thought I’d come pay my respects.”
Baek Jin-hwa laughed casually.
There was no hint of falsehood in her words, nor did she seem to be hiding anything.
The only thing that caught my attention was the person she had just met.
The only one who could move Baek Jin-hwa came to mind—the Hao Munzhu.
“It seems the Munzhu sent you on an errand again.”
“Hehe, well, when those above give orders, we must follow. But what were you doing, Young Master?”
“I was eating at an inn. The various rumors were quite entertaining.”
“Ah— there’s been quite a lot of talk lately, hasn’t there? About the Martial Arts Alliance, the Sword Emperor, and such….”
Baek Jin-hwa and I naturally began walking and conversing.
Since we were heading toward the Jin Family of Luoyang, our paths were actually opposite.
Yet seeing her follow along and strike up conversation made me wonder if she intended to gauge my movements.
Perhaps this was the Munzhu’s true errand.
“It’s all commonplace talk with little real interest. Actually, something else proved far more entertaining.”
“Is there something worth paying attention to?”
“Yes, what was it called? The Masked Martial Artist?”
“Ah—.”
“You know of them?”
As I walked slowly, rolling my eyes to observe her expression, she smiled brightly and nodded.
Of course she would know.
Though not widely famous, it was known enough to have earned a moniker.
“A comet that suddenly appeared in Shanxi. At first, they made a name for themselves by cutting down vicious heretical sects… but before long, they descended all the way to Hebei.”
Suddenly appeared in Shanxi?
The reason this nagged at me was because of the existence of Gwanbaek.
He too had appeared from nowhere, his origins completely unknown. Thus, I couldn’t help but suspect this was their handiwork once again.
“But that name will soon fade away.”
“What else is there?”
“In Shanxi, the heretical sects are gnashing their teeth, and in Jeongdo’s territory, they’ve clashed repeatedly, accumulating grudges. How many bandits and sects and families are burning with fury?”
“That’s strange. A person with any sense wouldn’t act so recklessly.”
“It seems they’re quite poor at dealing with people. They bumped into someone from the Soqing Sect on the road, and when that person protested their leaving without an apology, a fight broke out.”
“Haha, the Soqing Sect took a beating?”
“Yes, they were thoroughly thrashed. Besides that, some people from the Uxian Family were away from their camp for a moment, so they went there and ate all their food, which sparked another fight.”
With each story I heard, I couldn’t help but shake my head. They were deliberately choosing actions that would provoke fights, so of course they were accumulating enemies.
“One bandit even asked for directions and unfolded a map to show them, but they tried to simply take it and leave, which caused another fight….”
“That’s enough. I don’t think I need to hear more.”
“Hehe— but you seemed quite interested, didn’t you?”
“Ah—not until I’ve heard the full story.”
I clicked my tongue and furrowed my brow, mentally erasing the name “Masked Martial Artist” from my mind.
If Singyeo or Gwanbaek’s people had made a move, they wouldn’t have done something this clumsy.
Besides, even if they drew attention, they would do so by elevating their name like Mu Heo did, not by accumulating grudges and building a notorious reputation.
Therefore, it seemed better to assume that the identity of this unknown Masked Martial Artist was some figure who had emerged from a current unlike the past.
Besides, that name itself seemed destined to vanish soon.
I completely dismissed the name and looked at Baek Jin-hwa.
“So, what were you curious about that you rattled on like this without any compensation?”
“Hohoho—truly befitting of you, Young Master.”
“There is something, then.”
“Yes, Young Master. Did you perhaps find something when you visited the Martial Artist?”
I stopped abruptly and looked directly at her.
Her eyes gazing back at me were clear and bright.
A look meant to reveal the absence of any hostility or malice.
A laugh escaped me without thinking.
“So that’s what you wanted to know. I’m sorry, but I cannot answer that. It’s… an imperial decree.”
“Ah, really… how can that be, when we’re so close?”
Baek Jin-hwa pressed for an answer, but I shook my head. Uiseon’s bitter book was in the Emperor’s hands—I couldn’t sell that to Ha Omun.
However, there was one piece of information I could share.
“I’ll give you something else instead.”
“Mm—it should be something of value.”
Looking at her disgruntled expression, I raised the corners of my mouth.
Then, anticipating the shock that would wash over her face, I opened my mouth.
“I saw the Sword Emperor at Mount Sootae.”
“…!”
“The entire surroundings were drenched in blood.”
In that instant, Baek Jin-hwa’s expression was flooded with shock.

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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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