The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 346
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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 346
More than twenty riders moved swiftly across the landscape.
From Gansu to Chongqing.
They closed the distance in what felt like mere moments.
As more than twenty horses thundered across the earth, sand sprayed with each stride, kicking up such a dense cloud of dust that it resembled a sandstorm.
Clop-clop-clop—!
And the sight of them racing forward at breakneck speed.
Even passersby had to scramble out of the way, so overwhelming was their presence.
Their destination: Mount Jinfu.
Without pause, they galloped onward, steadily closing the distance, yet the toll on those mounted upon the horses was mounting with each passing moment.
The expressions of the Demon King’s disciples, once brimming with confidence, had grown taut.
Though they tried to conceal their strain, the cold sweat beading on their foreheads betrayed how much they were pushing themselves.
Meanwhile, there were those who were barely holding on.
“Huff… huff…!”
“Ughhhh…!”
Yeon-un and Na Cheonmun.
Their bodies had already reached their limits, gasping for breath in ragged bursts, and the pain radiating from their lower bodies was nearly unbearable—their faces flushed crimson as they endured.
By contrast, Haryeon appeared at ease.
She laughed as though the jostling was rather enjoyable, her eyes sparkling as she savored the rush of speed.
This was surely because Yeon-un continued to bolster her spirits.
I watched this for a moment and smiled faintly.
Then Goh Ak-sang, who had been riding beside me, posed a question.
“Will that child be alright?”
“She has a good guardian, so she should be fine.”
Goh Ak-sang offered a bitter smile as he gazed at Haryeon.
A child barely past ten years old—no matter that she was a Demon Sect disciple, one couldn’t help but be concerned.
“Wouldn’t it be wise to rest here?”
“How can we rest when our destination is within sight?”
I looked ahead.
Mount Jinfu, our destination, had already come into view.
Though still some distance away, if we pressed hard, we could arrive within half a day.
“The distance has closed considerably. If we’re to catch them, now is our chance. Yet you would rest?”
Goh Ak-sang shook his head, his eyes blazing.
“If it is truly there… we cannot stop.”
“Trust me. It will be certain.”
I smiled slightly as I regarded him, and his gaze sharpened like a blade’s edge.
He made clear his unwavering resolve to exact a blood price from those who had stolen the sect’s sacred treasure and fled.
Observing that expression, I posed my question.
“But regarding this matter, what did the Sect Leader say?”
“What are you referring to?”
“Recovery? Execution?”
Goh Ak-sang’s expression betrayed confusion at the sudden question.
But soon, the memory of that time surfaced.
“He only commanded us to pursue.”
“Hmm—.”
I swallowed the groan that followed his words.
An unprecedented catastrophe had occurred—the Extreme Demon Scripture stolen—yet the Sect Leader had uttered neither an order for immediate recovery nor a word about punishing the traitor?
The murderous intent Goh Ak-sang displayed was not born of command, but rather the fury that any Demon Sect Disciple hearing this tale could not help but harbor toward a traitor.
I furrowed my brow.
As if the Extreme Demon Scripture mattered little to him.
That troubled me somewhat.
…Or perhaps?
Was I searching for and hoping to find something specific?
If so, why?
I attempted to make sense of this bewildering situation, yet peering into Ma Un’s mind proved utterly impossible.
Because of that, I rode all the faster.
To verify the Extreme Demon Scripture as soon as possible, even by the hour.
Perhaps there was something within it that might reveal Ma Un’s true intentions—a faint glimmer of hope sustained me.
“Hiyah—!”
I cracked the whip harder, driving toward Mount Geumbuol.
“W-wait for us—!”
Yeon-un’s voice, tinged with complaint, called from behind, but I paid it no heed.
After three hours of relentless riding, the sunlight that had scorched the crown of my head began to weaken, and the sun perched upon the mountain ridge commenced its gradual farewell, sinking slowly into dusk.
The hour when day and night exchanged places.
The crimson landscape was gradually swallowed by darkness, and the moonlight, emerging as if in greeting, revealed its presence and illuminated all directions.
I brought my horse to a halt before Mount Geumbuol.
“In the end, we’ve shaved four days off the journey.”
As I turned my gaze and offered a smile, those who had stopped one by one wore rotten grins and broke into cold sweat. Even the Demon King’s forces, though they could pride themselves on having endured this grueling expedition, must have had moments to catch their breath along the way.
By contrast, Yeon-un and Na Cheonmun, who arrived last, looked half-dead.
They sprawled across their horses’ backs, breathing heavily and gasping for air, yet their breath would not return, and they writhed like caterpillars upon the ground.
After observing them for a moment, I dismounted and withdrew a map I had kept in my possession.
A map marked with locations by those who had constructed the hidden fortress.
Studying it, I turned my gaze toward Goh Ak-sang.
“It seems we must undertake some mountain climbing now. It’s quite deep.”
“…Mountain climbing after horseback riding? Ha.”
Goh Ak-sang exhaled a sigh and shook his head.
Even he, called the Demon King, showed clear signs of strain, as if this journey had not been easy.
Yet to be told we must climb the mountain without proper rest—only sighs could escape one’s lips.
However, these were Demon Sect Disciples.
A breed capable of accomplishing anything.
One by one, they steadied their breathing and calmed their minds, then their eyes gleamed as they renewed their resolve.
Their exhausted bodies regained vitality as strength surged through them, and life blazed anew in eyes that had been dimming.
I gazed upon them and smiled.
“Are you prepared to visit the thief?”
“Of course.”
At Goh Ak-sang’s resolute words, I turned my gaze away.
In the next moment, I launched myself forward, and the entire Demon King’s forces surged after me like a black tide crashing ashore.
“Young Master! Please take me with you—!”
“Ugh—! Why did you follow and end up suffering like this! Let’s… let’s go, Haryeon!”
….
“It’s somewhat cramped, but it’s truly a comfortable place.”
Hyeon Biwol gazed around in admiration.
A secret residence built deep within Mount Geumbul.
Yet it was so magnificent that it seemed impossible to believe it was merely a hidden estate. Concealed beneath trees, rocks, and vegetation to the point of being nearly undiscoverable, it had been fashioned in the Demon Sect’s style with elaborate gardens and courtyards.
It was an excellent location for standing watch and adequately suited for defense.
“We should be able to remain hidden until things settle down. If we can detoxify the Extreme Demon Poison during that time, we’ll be able to reclaim the Demon Sect alongside Lord Nam’s vengeance.”
Yu Sahon’s face brightened with determination as he smiled.
At those words, as if they believed they could reclaim their former glory, Hyeon Biwol and most of the household’s expressions bloomed with hope.
“Excellent. Truly excellent! I shall not forget that this is all thanks to you.”
“Thank you, my lady!”
Desire gleamed in their burning eyes.
The hope of controlling the Demon Sect once more.
The yearning to reclaim everything they had wielded and controlled.
If Hyeon Biwol’s brilliant mind could only detoxify the Extreme Demon Poison, all of it could be achieved.
The dreams nestled in their hearts swelled and seemed ready to burst.
“Then now, let us examine the Extreme Demon Poison.”
Hyeon Biwol glanced subtly around the surroundings.
Thereupon, all except three people bowed their heads and began to withdraw. Though they were trustworthy companions who had weathered difficulties together, warriors were inherently weak in such matters.
Yu Sahon carefully withdrew something from his robes.
It was wrapped tightly in cloth.
The moment he slowly untied the knots and opened it, an ancient tome revealed itself.
The scent of aged paper wafted forth, and I held my breath.
Hyeon Biwol’s trembling eyes reached out as she was about to turn the first page.
BOOM—!
“…!?”
“What, what is this!”
I was startled by a violent crash echoing from somewhere.
Those who had been glaring at each other with wide eyes suddenly shifted their gaze and moved their bodies.
The moment the door burst open with such force that it shattered, and I stepped outside to witness the unfolding scene, everyone gasped and fell silent.
“Wh… the Demon King’s forces!?”
“How did they…!”
Those occupying the inner residence and wielding swords were none other than the Demon King’s forces. The one leading them at the front was undoubtedly their Leader, Goh Ak-sang.
Despite their small numbers, they displayed overwhelming movements that dominated the many, and their tempestuous momentum completely seized control of the hall.
“These… these bastards—!”
Clang—!
Finally, an enraged shout burst forth from Yu Sahon.
A sound infused with supreme inner power reverberated as if it would shatter eardrums.
The bodies of the Demon King’s soldiers wavered from the impact.
Those who seized that moment began to press the Demon King’s forces fiercely, but recovering the momentum once lost proved impossible.
“My lady! Hide yourself! I will settle this at once!”
“Y… yes, I understand.”
In the end, Yu Sahon made his decision.
However the inner residence had been exposed, without eliminating the Demon King’s forces, there would be no easy escape from this place.
“Advance!”
The moment three figures hurled themselves toward the battlefield at his command.
Flash—!
A gentle light like a single ray of moonlight seeped through.
Those who had stared blankly for a moment gasped at the sharpness they felt within it and threw their bodies aside.
Whoosh—!
The moonlight, missing its target, carved through the earth.
A line without the slightest deviation gouged deeply into the ground.
The moment Yu Sahon’s eyes beheld it, his brow furrowed.
The instant his narrowed eyes turned to focus on one location.
The corners of the three figures’ mouths began to tremble.
“That… that one is…”
“The one who reduced Lord Nam to such a state…”
Do Hwa-ryang and Ha Mukrin furrowed their brows as they deduced the identity.
Now I understood why the Demon King’s forces had thrown themselves into this assault. It was not with the resolve for annihilation, but because they possessed a crucial trump card that could determine victory.
“Cheon!”
In that moment, Yu Sahon cried out harshly.
The one who had been involved in Nam Tae-cheon’s death in some manner.
A figure who could be said to have created this very situation.
The one I had wanted to cut down before Ma Un.
Clang—!
Yu Sahon drew his sword urgently and hurled himself forward.
Displaying the resolve to avenge Nam Tae-cheon’s death by his own hand, no matter what.
“You wretched fool—!”
The moment a harsh roar erupted from my lips, a sword infused with sword energy came hurtling down to cleave my head in two.
Clang—!
Simultaneously, a sharp metallic ring pierced the air.
A resonance that swallowed even the screams and clashing blades echoing from all directions.
So crystalline and transparent was the sound that it commanded everyone’s attention.
Our swords crossed, then swept through the air once more.
Clang—!
The sound rang out again.
Clang—!
Yu Sahon’s blade, brimming with killing intent, drove forward with savage brutality, while Cheon’s sword flowed like a gentle wind, coiling and enveloping.
Perhaps because of this bizarre sensation, Yu Sahon’s mind wavered.
“Hobeop Yu! I’ll aid you!”
“We’ll strike him down in one breath!”
When Do Hwa-ryang and Ha Mukrin, realizing the situation was turning strange, joined the fray, I found myself in the worst possible scenario—facing three of the Demon Sect’s finest experts simultaneously.
Boom—!
As the three of them unleashed a simultaneous barrage, a violent explosion erupted.
Dirt and dust shot up from the crater-like ground, blanketing the surroundings, while the force they released sent the wind itself howling and raging wildly.
“Soldier Cheon—!”
At that moment, Goh Ak-sang, sensing the situation was turning unfavorable, cried out and moved to approach. Anyone could see that facing three Demon Sect experts alone was no simple task.
But.
“Please concern yourself with that side instead.”
I spoke in an unconcerned voice and smiled.
A voice that seemed utterly unaware of the situation.
Yet my eyes burned with absolute confidence.
Goh Ak-sang, who had been moving forward, froze, and in that strange moment, the three experts stared at me in bewilderment.
Then, something unbelievable spilled from my lips.
“The boundary between life and death is perfectly suited.”
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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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