The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 324

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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 324

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I arrived at Seokga Station well past late afternoon.
As dusk settled and the crimson sunset painted the landscape, I passed through the city gates and finally felt the sensation of reaching my destination.
Yet something felt amiss.
Paeng Dohan, who had been heading toward the Unryong Inn, glanced around at the surrounding people with a puzzled expression.
“Doesn’t it seem oddly chaotic around here?”
Martial artists were scattered throughout the area, their auras distinctly sharp and aggressive.
As if searching for something, they swept their piercing gazes across their surroundings.
Because of the atmosphere they exuded, the passing pedestrians had lost their nerve and couldn’t even lift their heads.
“It appears martial artists have gotten into a dispute.”
Yet it wasn’t something to be overly concerned about.
Conflicts among martial artists were common occurrences throughout the Central Plains.
This was likely no different.
Watching Paeng Dohan, who understood this better than anyone, nod heavily, I moved without hesitation toward the Unryong Inn.
A place situated in the heart of the marketplace.
I never thought I’d return to this place again so soon.
I smiled unknowingly and approached the inn slowly. As the distance to the door narrowed, the clamorous voices of people pierced my ears.
Given how unusually loud it was, there must be many guests.
I reached out my hand toward the door, which was now right before me.
Creak—
An aged sound scraped against my ears, and simultaneously the interior landscape gradually revealed itself to my eyes.
The moment I confirmed the sight of those speaking in boisterous voices, I couldn’t help but smile helplessly and pressed my brow.
Then.
Had they recognized me?
An astonished cry erupted from someone who had noticed my presence.
“…Young Master So?!”
“Gasp!”
“Ugh!”
Those drinking wine or eating food.
Even those playing mahjong in one corner.
At a single word that burst from someone’s mouth, all the people in the establishment froze like statues, and several let out startled cries in shock.
Watching them all swallow dryly as their complexions drained of color, I silently entered and surveyed my surroundings once more.
They had occupied most of the tables on the first floor and this floor that should have been for guests, and because of the commotion they were making, the actual customers of the inn had been driven to the corners and were eating quietly.
As if their spirits had been completely broken.
At this absurd situation, I sighed once more and asked.
“You certainly have good fortune. You’ve claimed all the best seats and are indulging in drinking and gambling….”
“…Young Master So, that….”
A soldier spoke with difficulty, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Undoubtedly the commander leading this group of men.
I regarded him quietly with a crooked gaze for a moment, then shook my head as if it were nothing, adjusting my expression.
“It’s fine. But if you’ve all enjoyed your sweet rest… shall we prepare to return?”
Gulp-
The sound of someone swallowing hard echoed from somewhere.
To dispel this suffocating atmosphere, Jin Myeong should have appeared, yet strangely, he was nowhere to be found inside the inn.
“Is my brother in the separate quarters?”
“He… went out.”
“Went out?”
“Yes, he didn’t say where he was going… He left suddenly this morning and hasn’t returned yet.”
At those words, I narrowed my eyes.
At my piercing gaze, everyone within my sight began trembling, cold sweat streaming down their faces.
“He left in the morning and hasn’t returned, yet food and drink enter your mouths? Did it not occur to you to search for him?”
“W… well, you see, whenever this season comes around, he indulges day and night without rest… so we thought….”
Without thinking, I let out a hollow laugh and flicked my finger lightly.
Whoosh-!
“Gasp-!”
The wind blade shot forth and struck the man’s chest with tremendous force. Despite his considerable build and height, he couldn’t withstand the power and flew backward, crashing into the wall before sliding down with a scraping sound.
Whether he had lost consciousness or not, he couldn’t even speak, his eyes rolling back. Everyone in the room held their breath, their faces turning deathly pale.
“You have half an hour. Find him.”
“Yes-!”
Clang clang-
With a sound loud enough to hurt the ears, everyone inside the inn suddenly bolted out the door.
As if leaving this place made one a victor, they pushed and dragged at each other trying to escape—a sight that was almost comical.
I sighed and shook my head, looking toward the innkeeper.
He appeared quite intimidated by the ominous atmosphere.
“Do you know anything, innkeeper? About outside matters or where my brother went?”
“Ah— I apologize, Young Master. I had urgent business outside the city that I needed to attend to, so I’ve only just returned to the inn myself.”
The innkeeper bowed his head apologetically.
At his demeanor, Paeng Dohan, who had been observing the situation, stroked his chin and his eyes suddenly brightened as if he’d remembered something.
“If you permit, we could mobilize the Paeng Family. After all, it concerns finding the elder brother of Jin Gongja—no one would refuse such a request.”
Certainly, with the Paeng Family’s assistance, finding him would be trivial.
But in a situation where I couldn’t even confirm what had happened, borrowing the power of one of the Eight Great Families would be an extravagant luxury.
Moreover, I would need to worry about the debt incurred.
I declined Paeng Dohan’s suggestion and shook my head.
Then I turned my gaze elsewhere to check something.
Among the dining patrons, a server moved busily back and forth, catching my eye.
He seemed to possess quite a pleasant temperament, engaging in lengthy conversations with guests and having a talent for making them laugh.
I quietly observed the server, and when our eyes met, I could see him flinch in alarm.
“Come here.”
“I… you’re calling for me?”
“Yes.”
The young server approached with a terrified expression, shuffling forward without even lifting his head properly. It was clear that the position of Young Master So of the Jin Family weighed upon the child like ten thousand stones.
I smiled faintly.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t bite you.”
“Y-yes…”
“Did you see my brother leave this morning?”
“Yes, sir. He left in quite a hurry, and I couldn’t ask where he was going. The innkeeper told me to ask, but… I apologize.”
At the server’s words, which seemed to shield the innkeeper, I let out an involuntary laugh. The young one already understood what it took to succeed.
When I looked at the innkeeper with an exasperated gaze, I could see him lose his composure momentarily, his expression becoming awkward.
“Very well then. Let me ask you one more thing. The martial artists outside have rather unusual expressions. What’s happened?”
“Ah, that? I know well. The guests have been talking about it constantly.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, they say that the Masked Martial Artist or whoever it is—the Soqing Sect, the Wuxian Clan, and the bandits are all searching through Seokgajang like they’re combing through a field.”
“The Masked Martial Artist? He’s here?”
“Yes, and now that I think about it, the Second Young Master left right when they started fighting.”
I leaned back in my chair as I listened to this account.
I hadn’t expected to hear of the Masked Martial Artist in a place like this, which was certainly surprising, but my brother left right as the fighting broke out?
The timing was rather peculiar.
“Is there nothing else you’ve heard?”
When I asked again, the server began wracking his brain, as if anything he could offer might help the innkeeper.
I waited, giving him a moment.
“Ah! They said the Masked Martial Artist uses martial techniques from the north—the Binggung? Something about people from that place being scattered everywhere.”
“The Binggung, you say…”
I couldn’t understand why someone from the Binggung had become a masked martial artist, but if that were true, my brother’s hasty departure made sense.
My brother has deeper ties to the Northern Ice Palace than anyone.
If he were caught up in such a conflict, he would certainly intervene.
Most situations could be easily resolved under the Jin Family name, but the fact that he hasn’t returned for so long means there’s a reason he cannot.
“Has he ignited his eyes?”
“What do you mean?”
“If his comrades and friends are being harmed by the Masked Martial Artist, even if he wanted to stop, he’s in no position to do so.”
“Huh? What you’re saying is…”
“There’s a ten out of ten chance my brother is entangled in this Masked Martial Artist affair.”
“What?! How can that be?”
People from the Northern Ice Palace rarely venture to the Central Plains unless absolutely necessary. Distance aside, the environment and food of the Central Plains don’t suit them at all.
Yet if someone came from the north, they must be searching for something.
Perhaps it was the influence of Seol Ha-yeon, who is now the Gung-ju.
I finished my thoughts and handed the server a silver coin.
“You’ve been quite helpful.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“That’s all then. You may go.”
“Yes!”
The server bowed repeatedly with a beaming smile before disappearing. Only after watching him leave did I rise from my seat.
“Are you planning to search for them?”
“Yes, I believe I must. There’s something I need to verify.”
“You need to confirm something with the masked martial artist, don’t you?”
I nodded at Eon Garyeo’s question.
The fact that a warrior from the Northern Sea had come down on Seol Ha-yeon’s orders suggested she possessed information about Gang Cheonho, my sworn enemy.
The masked martial artist had been sent to verify that very thing.
It was merely speculation, but the most logical suspicion.
Therefore, I had to rescue them first.
“Then let’s search. I don’t know what’s happened, but I cannot allow an important guest to be injured.”
I led the two of them out of the inn.
By now, complete darkness had enveloped the surroundings.
The landscape of Seokgajang, with its sparse foot traffic, was shrouded in silence—a stark contrast to the festival that had taken place mere moments ago.
Scanning left and right first, I could see Jin Family soldiers and warriors scattered about calling out my brother’s name, while beyond them, martial artists from unknown quarters searched with sharp gazes.
As I narrowed my brows and gazed for a long moment.
Paeng Dohan’s confident voice rang out.
“We’ll search in this direction!”
“You’re splitting up?”
“Ha! Won’t we cover more ground if we separate?”
Not only Paeng Dohan but Eon Garyeo as well made their unwavering determination to find them and be of service to me abundantly clear.
I found myself smiling despite myself.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Ha! Don’t worry. This is my backyard, after all.”
Paeng Dohan’s eyes gleamed as he moved forward.
His confidence that he could find his way with his eyes closed, his determination to protect my brother’s safety, and his anticipation at the chance to meet someone from the Northern Ice Palace—a place rarely seen.
All of these were present.
I watched their spirited forms dash away, then turned my gaze to examine each path that came into view.
Which way should I go?
Within this vast Seokgajang, there were many paths, yet only two people to find.
I quietly surveyed my surroundings with my eyes, then expanded my senses.
Shhhhh—!
Not quite to the level of Heo Baek, the leader of the Baek Myeon-in, but I could now sense presences within a wider radius than before.
I too had grown somewhat.
Presences felt everywhere.
As if searching, there were quite a number of people checking various locations.
With over twenty detected by my senses alone, there must be far more in places I couldn’t perceive.
For a moment, I sensed the presence around me.
Thud—
At the sound of footsteps, I turned my gaze.
“Are you perhaps Cheon-u of the Jin Family?”
At the sudden voice, I looked toward its source.

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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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