The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 353

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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 353

Everything unfolded precisely as I had anticipated.
Those who had paid for entry the first day willingly paid again the next, and as praise poured ceaselessly from the lips of those enjoying the festival, even more people flocked to attend on the following day.
And so the day arrived when the four-day preliminaries came to an end.
“Y-Young Master!”
Yu Hyeon, the chief steward, approached with a beaming smile and called out.
“We have recovered all the money we invested, and we are already turning a profit.”
Yu Hyeon’s expression was one of utter disbelief.
In merely four days, the amount recovered was staggering.
Now that everything earned would be pure profit, I needed to squeeze out as much as possible during the remaining two days.
I responded with a smile.
“The main tournament begins tomorrow, so we will earn even more. The sums flowing in from various sources will be considerable.”
“Haha, the Family Head will be most pleased. I never dared imagine such results in such a short time… truly remarkable.”
While the sheer volume of people was important, what mattered more was that wealthy patrons with deep pockets had gathered.
The more expensive the seating, the better the treatment received, and one could even feel pride watching the envious gazes of others—a perfect arrangement.
Add to that the heightened emotions from the martial contests being doused with alcohol, and people could no longer distinguish whether the coins in their purses were stone or gold, spending freely.
The reason we achieved complete profitability in such a short span was the result of thoroughly emptying the purses of those wealthy patrons.
“Shall we be a bit more aggressive?”
“In what manner, Young Master?”
“You mentioned the line to enter the arena was quite long, did you not?”
“Yes, we must begin admitting people at least half a shichen before the scheduled time just to barely accommodate everyone.”
I stroked my chin thoughtfully for a moment.
Yet it did not take long to reach a conclusion, and with a slight smile, I snapped my fingers while looking at Yu Hyeon.
“For one additional silver tael, allow immediate entry without waiting in line.”
“…Pardon?”
“Did you not understand?”
“No, no, I understood. So you mean… if people pay, you will let them enter first without standing in line?”
At his precise summary, I nodded.
“Consider it from another angle. If you, the chief steward, wanted to enjoy a famous restaurant with your family, but the wait was over an hour…”
“I would not eat there.”
“Exactly. But if you could enter first by paying? And it was merely one silver tael?”
“…I would likely pay.”
Yu Hyeon, chief steward of the Jin Family of Luoyang.
His monthly salary was beyond imagination.
Losing one or two silver taels meant nothing to him.
Such people would gladly open their purses if it meant saving time waiting.
Whether Yu Hyeon had perfectly grasped my thinking, he stood speechless with his mouth open.
“Then, let us apply this method to other locations as well.”
“P-people will surely have something to say about this, won’t they?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that the Jin Family of Luoyang operates this place?”
“N-no, there isn’t.”
“Let the Martial Arts Alliance hear the complaints about why we’re dragging in the Jin Family and wasting unnecessary funds. We needn’t concern ourselves with that—we should only worry about how to increase our profits.”
“H-haha….”
Beyond that, I also implemented tiered pricing for admission tickets.
There was the basic entry-only option, and then the premium tier allowing one to enjoy performances and martial contests. Add to that differentiated seating by quality, and the price of admission tickets would skyrocket.
Of course, I was confident that as long as we provided appropriate hospitality and entertainment to match, those with comfortable means wouldn’t concern themselves much with money.
This was the essence of squeezing profit from the festival.
“Then please work hard over the remaining two days.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Yu Hyeon bowed hurriedly and left the room.
To generate even slightly more revenue, he would need to be constantly moving, so there was no time for him to rest.
I too left the room with a smile on my face.
As I moved toward the martial contest grounds while listening to the loud voices of the crowd, I noticed something.
“Look there! Th-that’s Myeong-ryun the monk!”
“Th-the Eighteen Arhats are here too.”
Following the voices, I spotted the familiar figure of Myeong-ryun among a group of Shaolin monks.
Judging from how he walked confidently in his monastic robes toward some destination, it was clear he would be competing in tomorrow’s main tournament.
But it didn’t end there.
Cheers erupted from all around.
“It’s Songshan and Huashan!”
-Waaaah!
The Plum Blossom Sword Masters, led by Jin Ja-geom, the representative expert of Huashan.
The Five Masters of Songshan, gathered around Ha Hyeok-jun.
With their arrival, the surroundings grew loud once more.
People’s eyes sparkled with excitement more than ever, and their anticipation was palpable—unlike the preliminaries, the main tournament would feature the Eight Great Families and the Nine Sects, making the martial contests far grander than before.
I smiled as I watched them disappear.
The timing was truly perfect.
With them appearing when the crowd was at its peak, what people witnessed here would spread throughout the entire prefecture.
Tomorrow, even more people would come than today.
“I’ll be able to rake in quite a bit.”
I licked my lips and turned away.
Tomorrow was shaping up to be a truly exhilarating day.

* * *

The city of Jeongju was in the midst of a splendid festival.
The cacophony of voices continued without pause, day and night, and even in the depths of dawn, the footsteps of those wandering the streets seemed endless.
The words passed from mouth to mouth spoke mostly of the martial competition and the festival grounds created by the Jin Family. The delighted expressions on their faces revealed just how thoroughly they were enjoying themselves.
But the real event was only beginning now.
The day the first main stage would open.
I rose early in the morning, opening my eyes to greet the dawn.
After washing my face to clear the fog from my mind, I dressed in light clothing and stepped outside.
“Young Master! Over here!”
It was Chaeseoha who waved her hand as if she had been waiting all along.
Standing beside Gu Gunbaek with sparkling eyes, she seemed utterly thrilled about today’s martial competition.
Gu Gunbaek felt the same way.
Though he maintained an expressionless face as if trying to conceal his emotions, his eyes blazed with an intensity unlike any other time.
That gaze seemed to press down upon Jang Chuchyeong like a weight.
As a result, Jang Chuchyeong, standing before him, was already drenched in cold sweat before the competition had even begun, his gaze fixed upon the ground.
Gu Gunbaek’s massive hand came to rest upon his shoulder.
“Do well.”
“Y-yes…”
“You must do well.”
“I… I understand.”
“Really. You do understand what I mean by doing well, don’t you?”
Gu Gunbaek spoke thus, applying pressure to the hand gripping the shoulder.
Crack!
As Jang Chuchyeong felt a force that seemed ready to shatter his shoulder at any moment, his expression twisted in agony.
“Aaaah! I’ll win! I’m telling you I’ll win! There’s no need to worry!”
“Hehehehe, I believe in you. You are the pride of Namman!”
Though he was laughing, his eyes were merciless.
Under the pressure that suggested nothing less than victory would suffice, Jang Chuchyeong had to forcibly muster the determination to succeed.
If he failed, only hell awaited him.
I let out a sigh and shook my head.
Chaeseoha, who had sidled up beside me, spoke.
“So it starts today? That main stage or whatever.”
“Yes. But you have no interest in martial arts—why are you so eager?”
“Not for me. For someone else. They say there’s much to see and learn.”
Chaeseoha was trying to fulfill Chwiayeok’s expectations.
Since she had attached herself to my side and become my hands and feet, perhaps she thought of this as a small gift.
Had it been otherwise, she would never have approached the martial grounds.
In the moment I smiled at her thoughtfulness.
Once more, a familiar voice reached my ears.
“What? Young Master Jin! Is that you, Young Master Jin!?”
A voice so familiar it was unmistakable.
I exhaled a sigh and turned my head away.
In the distance, I could see figures rushing toward us in a flustered manner, and the people around them, startled by their attire, quickly widened their eyes and hurriedly cleared the path.
“It’s, it’s the Mudang!”
“The Five Masters!”
“Is that Cheong-hyeon, the one said to be the next Master?”
The Five Masters of Mudang.
As the five who had gathered around Cheong-hyeon approached, they drew all eyes upon themselves.
The Mudang sect of the Southern Martial Alliance was renowned, but these Five Masters were undoubtedly powerful experts who would lead the righteous martial world alongside the Eighteen Arhats of Shaolin.
I clasped my fists in salute toward Cheong-hyeon, who had drawn near.
“It has been a long time, Master Cheong.”
“Ha, I never expected to meet you in a place like this. Could it be that Young Master Jin is also participating…?”
“Ah, that’s right! Senior! Didn’t I tell you? This martial arts tournament may be held by the Martial Arts Alliance, but it’s essentially no different from being organized by the Jin Family. The organizer, Young Master Jin, is not participating, you see?”
At Cheongdam’s words, Cheong-hyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
He had certainly heard about this situation before, but seeing his surprised expression, it seemed his mind had been so filled with thoughts of martial arts that he hadn’t heard the other words.
I wore a bitter smile.
“Master Cheongdam is correct. I will not be participating. I have too many matters to attend to.”
“…Is that so? What a pity.”
Cheong-hyeon showed his disappointment.
As if he wished to test their skills against me once more.
Perhaps what he had gained from our last encounter had been quite substantial.
Then, Cheongdam’s eyes sparkled as he asked.
“Then, Young Master! Will all the others be participating?”
“Yes, that is correct. Hani… you must be careful.”
“Haha! Of course. Then… naturally, that person as well?”
Cheongdam’s gaze, which had been smiling, turned toward one direction.
He was not searching for Namgung Yeon, who was absent.
His gaze was directed precisely at Chu Hyeongi.
“Me?”
“Yes! If we meet in the tournament, I look forward to it. There is something I must repay, after all.”
“Ha… well… yes.”
The expression and gaze directed at Chu Hyeongi were extraordinary.
There was the resolve to repay the debt from the Mudang incident last time, but more than that, something deeper—as if he had recognized that Chu Hyeongi was a powerful expert who surpassed Namgung Yeon.
But Chu Hyeongi was not the only one to be cautious of.
Namgung Yeon had also greatly increased his strength, and Seol Ha-yeon, the King of the Northern Sea, had also thrown his name into the ring.
Furthermore, Myeong-ryun, the disciple of Hye-myeong, Jin Ja-geom, and others.
There were quite a few mountains to overcome.
When you think about it, isn’t it an interesting combination?
Cheongdam, who is hiding it but is actually a disciple of Tae-hwang.
Myeong-ryun, the direct disciple of Gonghuang.
Chu Hyeongi, the disciple of the Fierce Tiger Emperor.
Though unknown to the public, if these secrets were to surface, the festival would generate far greater sensation, and I would reap tremendous profits.
It’s only a shame I cannot speak of it aloud.
I smacked my lips together, expressing my regret.
Murmur, murmur—
Then it happened.
Suddenly, a great commotion erupted from one side.
The gathered crowd hurriedly parted the way, their expressions incredulous as they swallowed hard, their eyes fixed on one spot.
Was it due to the sudden turn of events?
The Five Masters and I also turned our gaze toward that place.
In that instant, the reason became apparent.
Gong Hwang Hye-myeong and Tae-hwang Mu-jin—the spiritual pillars of the Martial Arts Alliance.
Centered around these two, the Family Heads of the Nine Sects and Eight Great Families, along with the Alliance’s elders, revealed themselves.
Though they merely walked toward the martial arena, it seemed as though nothing could halt their advance, and the oppressive aura carried on the wind caused one’s body to instinctively shrink back.
In that moment.
Hye-myeong and Mu-jin noticed us.
Soon their eyes widened in surprise, and they began approaching.
Their target was not me.
They came to a stop before Gu Gunbaek.
As they halted, even the wind held its breath.
Along with it came Hye-myeong’s benevolent voice.
“Amitabha Buddha—has the Demon King himself come to personally celebrate the Alliance’s festival?”
“Hmph! Celebrate? I came to see my disciple win, you damned monk.”
“Hehehehe—.”
The moment his voice spread softly yet sharply.
The assembly fell silent.
In that instant, Hye-myeong’s words had revealed the Demon King’s identity in a single breath.
And moreover, his disciple’s identity as well.
“I had my suspicions when I saw him at the Martial Temple, but so he truly was your disciple.”
“Mal-ko, surely you didn’t torment my disciple?”
“Hehehehe—you remain as discourteous as ever. Tsk….”
Mu-jin clicked his tongue with displeasure.
Then, sensing the atmosphere was about to turn rather hostile, Hye-myeong spoke in a gentle voice to calm the emotions of both men.
“Amitabha Buddha—what say you, Gung-ju? Would you not join us? It seems all eyes are rather concentrated on you watching alone.”
“Damn it, it’s because of that cursed monk! Hell!”
Gu Gunbaek frowned at the gazes pouring down from all sides. Then he struck Chu Hyeongi’s back with a resounding slap—.
“Win! You understand? Especially if you lose to this Mal-ko or that monk’s disciple… you’re truly dead.”
“Hik…!”
At those words, the crowd swallowed hard once more.
Taking Gu Gunbaek’s words at face value meant that one of the Five Masters was the disciple of Tae-hwang Mu-jin.
Silence descended.
I found myself laughing without thinking.
How convenient that they’re advertising for me without my asking.

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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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