The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 358

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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 358

After five days of bustling activity, the Martial Arts Tournament drew its grand finale.
The most anticipated and fiercely contested match concluded with Namgung Yeon’s victory, and many made a clamor discussing the result.
Boom, boom, boom—!
And that night.
Fireworks soared high into the sky, painting patterns across the darkness.
These were no ordinary fireworks.
The moment the massive explosions burst toward the dark night sky, some formed plum blossoms, while others created the symbols of martial artists.
The Nine Sects and Eight Great Families.
The symbols of those who formed the backbone of the Martial Arts Tournament bloomed one by one, and when the emblem of the Martial Arts Alliance finally painted its mark, the cheers of the crowd swallowed the entire city of Jeongdo.
It was truly an unbelievable sight.
I whistled as I watched the fireworks burst above.
The image of the old man who had called himself the greatest fireworks craftsman in the Central Plains, giving me a thumbs up, flickered before my eyes.
“He wasn’t lying.”
Among all the fireworks I had ever seen, these were the most brilliant and magnificent.
Moreover, by displaying the symbols of the tournament, it felt as though the dignity of Jeongdo’s martial world had been proven anew.
It matched exactly what I had envisioned.
“Money truly is wonderful.”
The sum I paid the craftsman was considerable, but the result was perfect success. Moreover, since I charged five silver taels per person for the best viewing spots of the fireworks, I had multiplied my profits significantly here as well.
Yet I could not let my guard down.
Unexpected troubles always arise at moments like these.
Thus, not only the Jin Family’s guards but also those dispatched from the Alliance stood watch from all directions, prepared for any contingency.
Meanwhile, the others were making quite a commotion.
I had given them exclusive use of the Yunryong Inn’s annex, and it was absolute chaos.
Members of the Nine Sects, the Eight Great Families, and the Jin Family who had attended the tournament were all mingling together in a drinking feast, their voices spilling out beyond the annex.
I stepped outside, leaving those voices behind.
I walked leisurely, taking in the splendid spectacle I had created and the joy of the people around me.
At last, the moment when everything I had prepared over months was coming to an end.
I felt something both refreshing and regretful.
“If I had just a bit more time, I could have made even more profit… Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and shook my head without thinking.
Yes, the most regrettable thing was this.
Due to time constraints, I couldn’t attempt various ventures. If I had committed myself fully, I’m certain I could have generated far greater profits than now.
Such thoughts did not easily fade from my mind.
I clicked my tongue and wandered the surroundings for a long while, intent on capturing every detail of this magnificent festival’s finale.
“It’s definitely here, I’m telling you.”
“But there’s nothing here, is there?”
“No, there really was… I swear it was here…”
At that moment, a small commotion erupted from somewhere nearby.
I glanced over and saw a man examining the ground with what appeared to be a guard.
“Look at this. These are bloodstains.”
“Well, it could be animal blood, couldn’t it? Why call me over for something like this?”
“But I clearly saw a person running past just then!”
“Ha, you must be mistaken. I haven’t heard of anyone dying during the festival. Besides, there are guards from the Jin Family and warriors from the Alliance everywhere—does that make sense?”
The guard’s words made the man furrow his brow.
Yet doubt lingered in his expression, wondering if he’d simply misread the situation. Soon, he sighed and bowed apologetically.
“I apologize. I think I was mistaken.”
“Ha, that must be it. Well, I’ll be on my way then. Enjoy yourself too. Today’s the last day—make the most of it!”
The guard departed with a delighted expression.
Judging by how quickly he moved, he was eager to savor the remaining hours of the festival and preserve its lingering joy.
Once the man also sighed and left the area, I slowly approached where they had been and examined the surroundings.
As I looked around, the bloodstains the man mentioned became visible. Not much, but enough to prove someone had bled here.
It could have been animal blood as the guard suggested, but the pattern of the drops differed from that.
I crouched down and touched it with my hand.
It felt like it had been there for a day or two.
Moreover, it was clear the person had been struck by a blade without any resistance. There were no other traces around it.
I furrowed my brow.
If a corpse had appeared, I could have identified it immediately, but according to the guard, no one had died or been found dead during the festival.
I gently reached out and felt the surrounding soil.
Bringing it to my nose, I caught a sour scent.
The texture and smell were distinctly different from ordinary earth.
It felt as though something had been mixed into it.
I had smelled this before.
At the place where Moryeong Hyeok’s corpse had vanished.
“Shadow poison?”
I brushed the soil from my hand and narrowed my eyes.
It was undoubtedly the poison that had been used.
I gathered small pebbles from the area and began placing them one by one over the soil that carried the scent, and before long they formed the shape of a person.
Precisely like the form of someone who had collapsed.
I narrowed my eyes as I confirmed this.
“Na Jukeum?”
I had already ordered the guards to search for Na Jukeum. Yet the fact that no word had come back suggested they had found nothing.
I couldn’t help but deeply wonder if he was the one who had fallen here and vanished without a trace.
Thud—
Then it happened.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from behind.
The moment I turned to look.
“What are you doing here?”
I caught sight of Chu Hyeongi.
A face battered beyond recognition.
So thoroughly mangled that even Chaeseoha’s golden salve would struggle to mend it—without hearing his voice, I would have had no idea who he was.
I laughed in disbelief and shook my head.
“It’s nothing. But what brings you all the way here?”
“Well, Young Master, we couldn’t find you anywhere, so I came looking. Everyone’s been searching for you.”
“Forget about me. The festival hasn’t even ended yet—I can’t very well be drinking.”
Chu Hyeongi smacked his lips with a disappointed expression.
With everyone else enjoying themselves, my absence seemed to leave him feeling somewhat bereft.
Of course, his other reason was likely hoping I’d serve as a shield against Gu Gunbaek.
I let out a soft chuckle.
“But tell me—how was it? Cheongdam?”
“Strong. Damn it… I was confident in my fists, but how did he endure that?”
Chu Hyeongi furrowed his brow in frustration.
Until his inner energy was depleted and grappling began, he must have been certain of his victory. After all, strength doesn’t vanish simply because one’s inner force is exhausted.
But Cheongdam weathered it, and in the end, they became entangled with each other.
“From his perspective, that was his best option. Gritting his teeth and enduring to prevent a decisive outcome. Had he not done so, he would have lost.”
“Tch!”
I could be certain of this because Cheongdam had not been seen since.
He had sustained far graver injuries than anticipated.
I spoke to Chu Hyeongi, who was still lamenting.
“You did well.”
“Ha! Hearing you say so, Young Master, brings me joy. Hehe, all that blood and sweat was worth it.”
Chu Hyeongi laughed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a finger.
Clearly in excellent spirits.
I watched him for a moment, then lightly patted his shoulder.
“Enjoy yourself today. Tomorrow we return to Luoyang.”
“Yes!”
As he answered vigorously and hurried away, I turned my gaze back to the marked location.
The silhouette of a person revealed by the stone placed on the ground.
Staring at it, I furrowed my brow.

* * *

The morning after the festival.
The aftermath of the celebration was severe.
Those who had drunk through the night bore pallid complexions, and shuttered storefronts lined the streets in succession.
The flow of pedestrians had also grown sparse, as those who had spent the final day in revelry struggled to rise from their beds.
Thanks to this, I experienced the peculiar sight of Jeongdo’s streets rendered tranquil.
I led my party toward the Martial Arts Alliance.
After traversing the quiet streets for some distance, Namgung Yeon, his eyes glazed with the haze of alcohol, cautiously approached my side.
“Are you going to report to the Alliance Leader?”
“The matter is concluded. Whether I go or not, he’ll summon me. It’s better to arrive first.”
“I wonder if yesterday’s events have troubled your mood.”
Namgung Yeon offered a bitter smile and lowered his head.
She who had defeated Myeong-ryun before countless witnesses.
Having created a historic moment that would rewrite the Namgung Family’s legacy, the weight of that accomplishment had not yet faded from her heart.
Though unspoken, her eyes gleamed with unmistakable pride.
I smiled faintly and spoke.
“Do not let excitement cloud your judgment. That victory cannot truly be called a victory.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
At my words, which doused her fervent emotions with cold water, Namgung Yeon nodded.
Both had been unable to move a single finger.
She had knelt and collapsed, while Myeong-ryun lay fallen, gazing only at the sky. To any observer, it appeared as Myeong-ryun’s defeat, yet had he truly resolved himself to act, he would have risen and struck her down. He possessed the strength to do so.
He still had reserves remaining.
But there was only one reason he did not.
“The Alliance Leader intended to fill the void left by the Moyong Family with the Namgung Family. Even at the cost of Shaolin’s pride.”
He prioritized the future of the Righteous Martial Arts over the honor of Northern Shaolin.
Hye-myeong surely transmitted his will through secret sound transmission in that final moment, and Myeong-ryun, understanding his intent, chose to remain fallen rather than rise.
“Shaolin’s spirit of perseverance is worth emulating. Myeong-ryun fought admirably.”
“Yes, I will engrave what I must learn without reservation into my mind.”
Namgung Yeon’s eyes hardened with resolve as she clenched her fists.
Merely witnessing the rekindling of her fighting spirit proved that my words were no empty boast.
I smiled and glanced sideways.
Seol Ha-yeon.
At Namgung Yeon’s words, her shoulders sagged in dejection. Her own critical error still lingered in her thoughts, refusing to dissipate.
Yet there were those who gave it no thought whatsoever.
Chu Hyeongi seemed to have cast aside his encounter with Cheongdam entirely, while Yeon-un maintained a cheerful demeanor, continuing his conversation with Haryeon.
I observed Yeon-un and asked.
“Does your loss to Myeong-ryun not vex you?”
“Haha? Oh! It’s fine. With such a gap in ability, nothing would have mattered anyway. Fortunately, it was against Myeong-ryun. If I had faced Lady Namgung instead, whew—!”
Yeon-un rubbed both his arms as though seized by chills.
Having witnessed Namgung Yeon’s frigid blade, the mere thought of facing her sent a shiver down his spine.
I gazed upon his expression and lifted the corners of my mouth.
“From what I observed, whoever he faced wouldn’t have fallen so easily, yet the outcome proved unexpected.”
“Thank you for the kind words, Young Master! Haha! I must redouble my efforts.”
Despite such remarks, Yeon-un offered an unbothered smile.
Not a single hint of discomfort showed in his demeanor.
Thus, I too turned my gaze away without concern.
We had arrived at the Martial Arts Alliance.
As we approached the main gate, it swung wide open, and following the gatekeeper’s guidance, we proceeded toward Hye-myeong’s office.
The firmly closed door opened, and the moment we stepped inside.
Two figures came into view.
Hye-myeong, with his benevolent and compassionate demeanor like a Buddha, and Taehwang Mujin, who gazed at our party with an expression of amusement.
Both men’s eyes swept across us as they smiled, and soon Hye-myeong’s gentle voice reached my ears.
“Amitabha Buddha—I was about to summon you, yet you’ve arrived first. I cannot help but offer my gratitude. Thank you.”
The Alliance Leader bowed respectfully.
The festival had concluded in grand success.
With the event wrapped up flawlessly without a single flaw, the Martial Arts Alliance’s prestige, which had been trampled underfoot, could now rise once more.
I responded to Hye-myeong’s smile with a laugh and clasped my fist in salute.
“Not at all. Thanks to you, I gained much, so if anything, I should be the grateful one. The profits know no bounds.”
As I uttered this quip, Hye-myeong and Mujin stared at me as if entranced, then chuckled softly and shifted the atmosphere.
Their smiles seemed to mark the final punctuation of the festival.

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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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