The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 34

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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 95

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The next morning, the first thing Namgung Yeon did upon opening her eyes was to check her older brother’s condition.
She distinctly remembered his state being so poor that he needed to see a physician, yet the Namgung Baek who now opened his eyes bore only faint traces of injury—the swelling had subsided so much that one would need to look carefully to notice anything at all.
Thanks to this, she was able to ask him various questions.
“So I was mistaken then?”
“…Yes, he actually helped me instead. And look at how effective this trauma salve is—I’m practically whole again.”
“…So you drew a blade against an innocent man.”
“Drew a blade?! Against whom?”
“Against Young Master Jin. I thought since I received silver coins that way… you were earning money under the condition of getting beaten.”
“…What nonsense are you talking about? More importantly, is the Young Master alright?! Please tell me you didn’t wound him badly?”
Namgung Yeon stared intently at her older brother.
She couldn’t properly grasp the intent behind his question.
It was as if he didn’t understand Jin Cheon-u’s true abilities.
She tilted her head to the side, puzzlement crossing her features.
“Brother, did you not witness the Young Master’s skill?”
“Huh? Skill? He’s just… a man of means, isn’t he? He said he’d learned basic self-defense, didn’t he?”
“That was far beyond basic self-defense. Even when I gave my all… he merely brushed past my sleeve.”
“…!”
At those words, Namgung Baek felt his breath catch repeatedly. The scenes he’d witnessed in his dreams suddenly flashed vividly before him once more.
“…That’s all it took?”
“Yes, and what was that proposal the Young Master made? What was it about?”
Namgung Baek’s expression grew puzzled.
Every time Jin Cheon-u’s name came up from just moments ago, her eyes had been gleaming with unusual brightness.
Moreover, her tone of voice was remarkably respectful.
Did she sense his questioning gaze?
Namgung Yeon dulled her expression and eyes, pressing him for an answer.
“What proposal?”
“Ah—right. That… he told me to join the Nakhyang Jin Family. He asked if I’d be interested in filling a vacant position with the Imperial Guards.”
“You… refused that?”
“Yes, he said you could come along to the Jin Family as well, but something felt off about it….”
“Are you insane?!”
“…What?”
“You should have accepted such a wonderful offer!”
“But I couldn’t just abandon this place and leave, could I?”
“You can always return later. Don’t you know, brother? Working there for just ten years would let you live in a mansion like a palace. They pay that much.”
Namgung Baek let out a groan.
I was already well aware of that.
Which was why I’d been tempted by Jin Cheon-u’s proposal in the first place.
But the thought of standing by his side when I lacked the ability to truly protect him felt absurd, and the risk of Namgung Yeon being exposed made me uneasy.
That was the decisive reason for my refusal.
Yet I couldn’t simply state it outright, so Namgung Baek spoke with an awkward expression.
“Your skills aren’t sufficient, are they? If what you say is true, then I wouldn’t be protecting the young master at his side—I’d be the one receiving protection. How could that even be called an escort?”
“I’ll do it, then.”
“…What did you just say?!”
Namgung Baek couldn’t hide his shock at the sudden declaration.
Under normal circumstances, he would have sternly refused, but the resolute gleam in those unexpected eyes left him momentarily speechless.
Just as he was about to fumble for words—
A presence was felt from outside.
“Namgung Baek, are you in there?”
At the sudden voice, Namgung Baek hurried outside.
There stood a familiar figure.
It was the Chohyeon Clan member who had frequented the magistrate’s office before.
He regarded Namgung Baek with an arrogant gaze.
For a moment, fear gripped him.
He wondered if the man had come because of yesterday’s incident, but while the man’s expression suggested displeasure, he didn’t seem to have come with intent to cause harm.
Namgung Baek exhaled in relief and asked.
“What brings you here?”
“The Family Head has a task for you. Will you do it?”
“A…task, you say?”
“That’s right. If you’re willing, come along.”
At the man’s words, Namgung Baek hesitated briefly.
Though the bruised areas had subsided, the pain hadn’t entirely vanished.
But if I missed this opportunity now, there was no telling when another would come.
No matter how much money Jin Cheon-u had given me, it had to be used for my younger brother—I couldn’t afford to turn down work like this.
“I’ll go. Please wait while I prepare.”
“Be quick about it.”

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Two days had already passed since my confrontation with Namgung Yeon.
Contrary to my expectations that they would arrive sooner, the two still hadn’t shown themselves, and only tedious time continued to slip away.
Gu Gunbaek, Jang Chuchyeong, and Chaeseoha seemed busy sightseeing around Haebi, but since I had no interest in such things, it only made the waiting more unbearable.
Yet my heart was not impatient.
After all, bearing fruit takes time, and if I waited with patience, eventually I would see results.
The problem was not the Namgung Sega.
“The time has already passed.”
I narrowed my eyes and gazed out the window.
The deadline I had set for Ma Hyeong-chu to make contact had already come and gone.
Though I had refused on the first day, considering his nature, I had judged he would return soon enough.
But still, there was no word.
Since I had no desire to enter the Chohyeon Sega—which could be called the enemy’s lair—I had instead tried to draw him out into the open, but the situation had become unfortunate.
I frowned and rose from my seat.
With those bastards right before my eyes, I couldn’t simply sit and wait like this.
Especially when the opponent was the Blood Demon Sect.
They were unpredictable, and this was an opportunity to gauge their movements after the Shadow Assassins disappeared.
So was it me who was growing impatient, not them?
I let out a soft chuckle and rose from my seat.
After making simple preparations, I slipped out of the inn.
The Chohyeon Sega was to the east.
I left the marketplace and took the road leading there.
After traveling quite far in that direction, a grand manor surrounded by high walls came into view.
That was the Chohyeon Sega, currently wielding the greatest influence in Anwhui.
As I cautiously approached and surveyed the surroundings, I noticed the atmosphere was different.
Through the wide-open main gate, I could see numerous people moving about busily.
As if an important guest were arriving.
Could it be they had been waiting for me?
With that thought, the moment I slowly approached the Chohyeon Sega, a familiar face emerged from between the open gates.
None other than Namgung Baek.
He looked quite exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes.
It seemed as though he hadn’t rested properly and had been working instead.
With his shoulders drooping, Namgung Baek let out a sigh as if finally finished, stretched languidly, and then began walking with heavy, weary steps.
I kept some distance and followed, calling out to Namgung Baek once we had gone far from the Chohyeon Sega.
“What are you doing here?”
“Ugh?! You startled me. Young Master, is that you? I was quite surprised.”
“Where were you just coming from?”
“Ah— did you perhaps see? The Chohyeon Sega gave me work, so I was just finishing that. Haha… I must be frugal with the money you gave me, Young Master.”
Namgung Baek forced a smile.
It felt as though his spirit had been drained away.
I found myself frowning without realizing it.
“Work? From the Chohyeon Clan?”
“Yes, sir. Some important guest was arriving, so they asked us to clear out an entire building. Well, it needed to be quite spacious. We had quite the time with it. Phew…”
Namgung Baek shook his head vigorously at the memory, as if it had been dreadful.
His wounds from the beating likely hadn’t healed properly either. No matter how effective Chaeseoha’s wound salve was, it meant nothing if he didn’t apply it consistently.
With a body in that condition, he’d spent two days doing physical labor.
I could understand why Namgung Baek complained of exhaustion.
“By the way, young master. I’m terribly sorry! My younger brother caused you trouble… I don’t know how to apologize properly.”
“It’s fine. I’ve forgotten all about it. You have a capable younger brother.”
“Haha… He’s my pride. But please, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention anything about my brother to anyone. I’ll consider myself indebted to you for life and do whatever you ask… please, I’m begging you.”
Namgung Baek was quite desperate.
If he could, he’d want to boast about his younger brother to everyone.
After all, the boy possessed considerable talent and genuine skill.
But knowing better than anyone that such talent could be a death sentence, he also understood the necessity of concealing and downplaying it.
I let out a soft chuckle.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone. But are you alright?”
“Ah— my whole body still aches a bit, but I’m managing. I can’t just lie in bed when there’s money to be earned, can I? Haha.”
Namgung Baek held up his money pouch and shook it.
The jingling sound reached my ears.
I couldn’t tell exactly how much was inside, but it seemed he’d earned a decent sum.
I found myself nodding with a bitter smile.
“Good for you. But about the Chohyeon Clan—was there someone named Cho Hyeon-gang inside?”
“Cho Hyeon-gang, Cho Hyeon-gang… No, sir. There was no one by that name. I know all the people of the Chohyeon Clan, and I’ve never heard that name before.”
That was only natural.
Cho Hyeon-gang was a person who didn’t exist in the first place.
He was nothing more than a fabrication created to lure me out.
But now that the name had been revealed, he had to be somewhere within the clan. They wouldn’t hide someone after exposing them like that.
Yet there was no one like that inside the clan?
“Were there no unfamiliar faces at all?”
“No, sir. They were all people I’d seen before. If something troubles you, should I go back and check again? If I say I left something behind, they’d let me in.”
I shook my head at his words.
It bothered me that those people had suddenly disappeared, but I had no intention of using Namgung Baek to verify it again.
There was no need to invite suspicion through unnecessary actions.
Besides, if they’d already left that place…
“Should I tear it down and check?”
I muttered quietly, narrowing my eyes.
That was when it happened.
I saw Namgung Baek’s complexion turn deathly pale.
Fear flickered in his eyes as he looked at me.
When our gazes met, Namgung Baek quickly changed his expression and forced an awkward smile.
Watching him, I realized something.
This fellow knows something.
Only then did the pieces seem to fall into place in my mind.
After the Heukwoo Society incident ended, he had rejected my proposal and fled, avoiding me—that entire sequence of events.
The way he seemed oddly uncomfortable whenever he faced me.
Perhaps this fellow.
I wondered if he actually knew who Pyo Hyeong-geom was.
The moment I narrowed my brows slightly, Namgung Baek flinched and stepped back.
Then, with an awkward expression, he turned his head away and began whistling, hurrying to leave.
“Ah—I haven’t seen my younger brother in two days, and I keep thinking of him. I’ll go see him first.”
“Wait.”
At that very moment when he was rushing to leave.
My words made him flinch, and he froze in place like a stone statue.
I slowly approached him.
As my footsteps drew closer, I could see beads of cold sweat forming on his skin.
Before long, I was within arm’s reach and gently extended my hand to drape it across his shoulder.
“Talk with me for a moment.”
“…Talk, you say?”
“Yes, it’s not urgent anyway, is it?”
“No… but, I miss my brother so much….”
“Just a moment will do.”
“If I don’t see my brother’s face for even a day, I’ll fall ill….”
I stared intently at Namgung Baek.
When our eyes met, his pupils darted about. He clearly wanted to escape this situation by any means.
I tightened the arm draped across his shoulder.
“You said I’d buy you a meal, didn’t I? I’ll treat you properly today.”
“Ha ha… I’m fine, really….”
Namgung Baek struggled with all his might, trying to break free from the situation.
But I had no intention of letting him go.
I tightened my grip further and led him toward the Unryong Inn.
“Older brother?”
A voice reached us at that moment.
At the sudden sound, Namgung Baek brightened and cried out.
“Yeon!”
“Namgung Yeon?”
Our voices overlapped as we both looked ahead.
Namgung Yeon’s bewildered expression came into view.

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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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