The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 342

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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 342

Even as I walked, my thoughts refused to cease their relentless churning.
The greatest mystery was how the Extreme Demon Scripture had been stolen.
The records on this matter were brief, yet they contained something.
The remnant forces of the deceased Nam Tae-cheon.
It appeared that most of his followers had been expelled and the matter concluded, yet there remained those who still followed him, and ultimately this led to the theft of the Extreme Demon Scripture.
The problem was whether this made sense.
“It should have been hidden in the deepest recesses of the Demon Sect.”
Moreover, something only the Sect Leader could view meant it was within the palace where he resided. How could any madman deceive Ma Un and take it?
The answer?
No.
It was absolutely impossible.
Then there was only one conclusion I could draw.
Sect Leader Ma Un allowed the theft to occur.
If that were not the case, the current situation made absolutely no sense.
Then the next question becomes why…
“Because he is someone whose inner thoughts cannot be fathomed.”
I recalled Ma Un and furrowed my brow.
A man who knew Nam Tae-cheon was targeting him, yet allowed it anyway.
No matter how much I tried to speculate about such a man’s thoughts, I could not. Even as I furrowed my brow and racked my mind again, no answer came, and I released a heavy sigh.
Ultimately, to find all the answers, I had to recover the Extreme Demon Scripture.
After walking for some time, I suddenly stopped and turned my gaze.
At the same moment, the footsteps of another presence ceased.
I confirmed who was following me and asked.
“Why are you following me?”
“Ah, haha, since the Young Master was going, I unconsciously just….”
“Return.”
As I cut him off firmly, Na Cheonmun’s expression changed. His eyes darted about as if he were in considerable distress, and finally, releasing a long sigh, he spoke.
“Young Master, do you perhaps know how much lodging and meals cost in the marketplace…?”
“I do not, but the Yunlong Inn is not expensive.”
“Haha, yes, that’s right. It costs roughly forty to fifty iron coins.”
“And?”
“I only have exactly… this much….”
Na Cheonmun showed me his coin purse with embarrassment.
Rattling inside were five iron coins.
It was enough to buy one dumpling from a street vendor and nothing more.
I regarded him with an expression of disbelief.
“You came all the way to Luoyang without bringing any money?”
“I was dragged here against my will, and the entire journey was filled with Amcheon’s people, so I wasn’t thinking straight. Then he suddenly threw me a silver coin and left!”
Na Cheonmun cried out as if he’d been struck by lightning.
As if he couldn’t believe this situation at all.
“After paying for the meal we shared together, this is what’s left. Sigh—why is the Yunlong Inn so expensive?”
I sighed as I watched him despair.
He certainly had a lot to say about being broke.
The reason the innkeeper couldn’t find Na Cheonmun’s name in the lodging registry was precisely this.
He hadn’t stayed the night.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
“Follow me.”
“Yes! Thank you, Young Master!”
I led him, who followed with an elated expression, toward the side street.
In the meantime, I voiced my curiosity.
“What do you know about this matter?”
“My task is to go to Gansu with you, Young Master. And there’s… the Black Horse Brigade, I suppose?”
“The Black Horse Brigade?”
“Yes! One of the most renowned strike forces of Singyeo!”
The Black Horse Brigade.
There wasn’t a soul in the Central Plains martial world who didn’t know that name.
During the Great Righteous and Demonic War, they were one of the five elite brigades that swept through the Central Plains at the forefront, and they were beings that made any orthodox martial artist tremble.
The fact that such forces were mobilizing suggested that Ma Un had no intention of sitting idle and watching this situation unfold.
“He let slip what he could have stopped, and now he’s even pretending to work…”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
I smiled bitterly and shook my head.
Regardless of Ma Un’s intentions, things wouldn’t go as easily as he desired.
“Ah! You’ve already seen the leader of the Black Horse Brigade, haven’t you?”
“Have I?”
“When we climbed Cheonma Peak. There was someone dressed in black clothes with their face covered in black cloth—that person is Goh Ak-sang, the leader of the Black Horse Brigade.”
I paused to search my memory and recalled the scene from back then.
Countless Demon Sect disciples had gathered to watch us ascend Cheonma Peak with interest.
Certainly, there had been someone with such an appearance.
Had they watched indifferently without saying a word?
I laughed involuntarily and shook off the memory.
“This should be interesting.”
At my casual remark, Na Cheonmun broke into a cold sweat.
For him, fear would come before amusement.
As we exchanged questions and answers about what we were curious about, we soon entered the annex building.
“That, that person!?”
Chaeseoha was the first to recognize Na Cheonmun.
She hurried over with a radiant smile spreading across her face.
“Oh my! How wonderful to see you! What brings you here!?”
“Ha, it’s been quite some time, Physician. You’re as beautiful as ever.”
“My goodness, but really—what brings you all this way? From there to here… it must have been quite the journey.”
As Chaeseoha’s delighted voice rang out, people began gathering from all corners, drawn by the commotion.
Watching them cluster together in small groups and converse with obvious joy, the memories shared with Na Cheonmun didn’t seem to be unpleasant at all.
Except for three people.
Seol Ha-yeon’s gaze had turned cold, as if she’d sensed the demonic energy flowing from Na Cheonmun’s body, while Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo wore expressions of bewilderment, as if uncertain who this person was.
“Are you a guest of the Young Master?”
“No. We once… shared memories together.”
“Ha! Then that makes you friends, does it not? Delighted to meet you! I am Paeng Dohan. Any friend of the Young Master is a friend of mine, so I look forward to our acquaintance.”
“Ha, th-thank you. But perhaps… the Paeng Family of Hebei?”
“Indeed. And this is Eon Garyeo, and naturally…”
“The Eon Family of Jinzhou…?”
As the names of both the Paeng Family of Hebei and the Eon Family of Jinzhou spilled forth, Na Cheonmun’s expression began to stiffen rapidly.
They were those who had fiercely opposed the Demon Sect and spilled blood in that struggle.
Watching him break into a cold sweat and nervously gauge my reaction, it was clear he desperately wanted to flee this very moment.
That was when it happened.
Jang Chuchyeong crossed through the gate, having apparently finished his training, and noticing our gathered group, he approached with a puzzled expression.
Soon after catching sight of Na Cheonmun’s face.
“Wait? Isn’t that the bastard from the Demon Sect!?”
The moment those thoughtless words spilled out.
The faces of Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo turned rigid as stone.
Damn fool.

“So you’re saying you visited the Demon Sect?”
“It was some time ago, though.”
I answered Paeng Dohan’s probing question.
For a moment, the two men’s faces betrayed disbelief, their eyes widening, but they soon steadied their breathing and composed their turbulent minds.
“Ha, I’ve heard the Demon Sect has been making noise lately… surely that’s not all there is to it…?”
Paeng Dohan regarded me with suspicious eyes.
He wasn’t looking at me alone.
Namgung Yeon, Jang Chuchyeong, and even Chaeseoha.
Those who had shared the journey from Namman to the Demon Sect averted their gazes, startled by that piercing look.
“There were various matters that arose. Of course, I maintained neutrality throughout, so please don’t worry.”
“Ha, I harbor no such concerns. I know well what sort of person the Young Master is. I’m simply amazed. That a Demon Sect disciple stands at the center of the Righteous Path.”
Paeng Dohan narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Na Cheonmun.
His gaze was sharp and cutting—the kind that suggested he would have drawn his blade first had he learned of this from outside sources.
It wasn’t only Paeng Dohan; Eon Garyeo shared the same sentiment. For Na Cheonmun, receiving the scrutiny of both men was terrifying.
He retreated slightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
At the sight, Paeng Dohan clicked his tongue and let out a scoff.
“Yet he seems far weaker than the rumors suggested. The Demon Sect, that is.”
“Yes, a place once called the symbol of terror… watching him makes it sound like nothing but a jest.”
“Y-you mustn’t judge a person by appearance alone!”
Na Cheonmun cried out with difficulty, as though his pride had been wounded. Yet the fear didn’t easily dissipate; he seemed genuinely frightened.
A faint smirk played at the corners of Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo’s mouths.
With expressions and eyes that seemed to say “shall we test that?”, Na Cheonmun swallowed hard and fell silent.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
Indeed, having had no contact for so long since the Grand Martial Tournament, it wasn’t strange to assume that what one sees is all there is.
But could one truly hold the same opinion upon seeing a real Demon Sect member?
At that moment, Namgung Yeon sighed, as if to correct the situation, and spoke.
“Paeng Sohyeop, I am but a lowly warrior of the Demon Sect. In terms of the Alliance, I’m scarcely more than a gatekeeper… The true ones are different.”
“I-is that so?”
“Yes. From what I’ve witnessed, the power they possess already surpasses the Alliance.”
“…!”
“Ugh!?”
Namgung Yeon’s words cut through the air sharply.
The faces of the two men, who took pride in the Martial Arts Alliance, drained of color, and they soon clenched their fists as if in shame.
These were the words of Namgung Yeon, who had been there herself.
Moreover, having witnessed her strength firsthand, the weight of her words carried a different gravity altogether.
As if to dispel the heavy atmosphere that had settled, Namgung Yeon deliberately turned her gaze to me and posed a question.
“But why is this man here?”
“He came seeking me. And naturally, it’s a matter of business.”
“…Is a Demon Sect warrior entrusting the Young Master with a task?”
Namgung Yeon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
As if to say that if such a thing were true, I would not tolerate it.
Na Cheonmun trembled at those piercing eyes, his expression as though his breath might escape him at any moment.
The killing intent that stabbed through so powerfully—incomparable to Paeng Dohan or Eon Garyeo—constricted my entire body.
“No, it’s the Demon Sect Leader.”
“…!”
“Gasp! W-who are you talking about? Surely you don’t mean the Demon Sect Leader I know of?”
I nodded at Paeng Dohan’s astonished words.
In that instant, the atmosphere grew deathly cold.
Everyone in the room froze like ice, and not a soul moved or opened their mouth.
The very name “Demon Sect Leader” carried a weight beyond imagination, and it was only natural that everyone would be shaken when such a person singled me out to give orders.
Moreover, if I moved, someone would have to follow.
Those present exchanged glances with one another.
From the looks in their eyes—as if asking “Will you go, or shall I?”—I could fully understand their feelings.
I folded my arms and leisurely surveyed my surroundings.
Paeng Dohan and Eon Garyeo averted their gazes, Namgung Yeon hung her head low, and Jang Chuchyeong and Chaeseoha closed their eyes tightly.
Since this was a matter of the Demon Sect, the Paeng and Eon families were naturally excluded.
Jang Chuchyeong was in Gu Gunbaek’s grasp, so he was excluded.
What remained were Seol Ha-yeon, Chaeseoha, and Namgung Yeon.
My gaze naturally turned toward them, but except for Seol Ha-yeon, who stared blankly as if she didn’t understand, both of the others clearly made an effort to avoid meeting my eyes.
At their behavior, laughter spilled from me unbidden.
“You need not worry. I won’t be taking any of you with me.”
“Huh!? Young Master, you’re going alone?”
“Thank goodness. I’m swamped with work as it is.”
Everyone in the room sighed with relief.
Whether they thought the aftermath would be troublesome if the Demon Sect were involved, or whether they sensed this would be a difficult task, their reluctance to go was evident.
So I truly intended to go alone?
I smiled faintly and gazed out the window.
“Don’t worry. I plan to take that fellow with me.”
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the window.
At the same time, the top of someone’s head came slightly into view, and soon, realizing they had been discovered, they slowly rose and revealed themselves.
“Y-Yeon Sohyeop!?”
“Why are you here?”
“Hahaha, good evening, everyone. I came by hoping to share a meal with you… and happened to… overhear things.”
At this absurd statement, people’s jaws dropped in various places.
At the same time, I saw Namgung Yeon’s eyes narrow.
I paid no mind and turned my gaze toward Yeon-un.
Soon, I lifted the corners of my mouth deeply and let my eyes shine.
“It’s a journey to Gansu. I look forward to your company.”
“Ahahaha, of course! What an excellent choice to bring me along!”
Yeon-un’s hearty laughter echoed beneath the night sky.

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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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