The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 360

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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 360

“The Dark Sect is making a move?”
At the grave tone of the question, Baek Jin-hwa nodded. Her complexion, expression, and the clarity in her eyes made it impossible to doubt her words.
I furrowed my brow.
“Is it because of what happened last time?”
“In truth, we were fortunate to even detect this much. It only confirms how secretively they are operating.”
Information about the Dark Sect was not easily obtained, even for Ha Omun. So it was hardly surprising that this intelligence came through sheer fortune.
“What scheme are they plotting now…”
As I sighed and thought of Ma Un, my brow deepened. I felt a creeping unease that I was about to be burdened with another troublesome matter.
But Baek Jin-hwa’s assessment was somewhat different.
“Their movements are not the same as before, Young Master. They seem to be searching for something.”
“The Dark Sect is searching for something in the Central Plains?”
At my unexpected question, Baek Jin-hwa nodded.
She did not seem to know the exact details, but it was clear that the nature of their movements differed from before.
This was why my frown would not ease.
Then I laughed hollowly and shook my head.
“How suffocating it must have been to be trapped in Tianshan all this time. Now they wander through the Central Plains as if it were their own home.”
“Hoho— Indeed. I wonder what would happen if the Alliance discovered this fact.”
The Alliance’s elite forces would be dispatched immediately.
And perhaps another great confrontation would unfold as a result.
The warriors of Jeongdo, still unable to escape the humiliation of the past, would surely gnash their teeth and commit their full strength to repayment.
“An interesting development indeed. The Dark Sect stirring again? Do you know who they are?”
“They witnessed the distinctive lightness technique of the Black Gate Organization, so it is likely them.”
The Black Gate Organization.
I had heard the name before as well.
They were not merely those who pursued and eliminated targets.
They were those who sought Dark Sect relics, secret treasures, or ancient sites. That they had mobilized meant the likelihood of such an artifact being discovered was high.
They had emerged to retrieve it.
“Hoho— However, there is something peculiar. Strange individuals were mixed among them.”
“You mean the Black Gate Organization joined hands with others?”
“Yes, there are reports that they glimpsed individuals who were not Dark Sect disciples at all—entirely different people. They could not determine their identities because their faces were concealed with white masks.”
The moment I heard those words, the warmth drained from my wine.
Feeling my blood run cold, I fixed Baek Jin-hwa with a rigid gaze, and she tilted her head in confusion, her question evident.
“Why…are you reacting this way?”
“White masks?”
“Yes, individuals who seemed like Dark Sect members yet also seemed like they were not.”
There were those in the Dark Sect who operated while wearing masks.
But white masks—that was an entirely different matter.
Wasn’t that enough to recall someone?
I steadied my breathing and slowly refilled my empty cup.
“Is this information accurate?”
“This isn’t something we inquired about, Young Master.”
“Then?”
“The Master herself verified it directly.”
Not just anyone, but Hao Munzhu herself had confirmed it.
That meant the source of the information was her.
The credibility was extremely high.
I regarded Baek Jin-hwa with an enigmatic expression.
There was no way the Master of the Hao Sect would provide information without compensation.
“Hehe, the Master says this is an apology for the previous matter. I hope you find it satisfactory, Young Master.”
At Baek Jin-hwa’s words, I nodded and drained my cup.
The Dark Sect and Baek Myeon-in.
An unimaginable combination.
But it wasn’t impossible either.
After all, the Baek Myeon-in I was thinking of might not be the one in question.
Since there were often those in the Dark Sect who operated while wearing masks, it occurred to me that this might be one of them.
But there’s no harm in verifying.
Unresolved unease had to be addressed.
“Where?”
The moment I spoke those weighty words with a sharp gaze.
I saw Baek Jin-hwa’s eyes tremble slightly.
Soon her voice flowed out softly.
“Sichuan.”
Hearing those words, I let out a hollow laugh.
In the end, I had to go to that cursed Sichuan.

* * *

Walking home alone.
I moved slowly, my mind churning ceaselessly.
The Dark Sect and Baek Myeon-in.
If Ha Omun’s information was accurate and my suspicions were correct, I was certain that Baek Myeon-in was undoubtedly part of Heo Baek’s faction.
But could the Dark Sect join hands with Gwanbaek?
Ma Un was a martial artist with pride surpassing all others, so the thought of him bowing to Gwanbaek was scarcely imaginable.
Then had he allied with someone from within the Dark Sect itself?
This was the most likely possibility.
I would need to verify the details, but I desperately hoped it was merely another Demon Sect Disciple wearing a similar mask.
I had no desire to make Ma Un’s Dark Sect my enemy.
If he were to become my adversary?
“He would become a truly formidable mountain to climb.”
Hye-myeong, Cheon Gong-hak, and Ma Un.
Absolute powers and the strongest among those who divided the empire’s authority.
Even if Cheon Gong-hak would soon breathe his last, I desperately wanted to prevent Hye-myeong and Ma Un from crossing to the other side.
The reason I had carefully cultivated relationships with them and built rapport was precisely for this.
Moreover, they could become a trump card against the Dark Sect.
If even one of them were to break, my plans would crumble.
That was why I had to go and verify it myself.
“In the end, it’s Sichuan. Sigh—.”
I stepped through the gate and released a long breath.
From Henan to Sichuan.
Even traveling at the fastest pace, the journey would take a month.
Knowing how arduous it would be, my head throbbed with tension.
“Is something troubling you?”
Then a cold voice froze my ears.
Turning my gaze, I saw Seol Ha-yeon standing motionless, drenched in sweat as if rain were pouring down—she must have just finished training.
I wondered if her loss to Jin Ja-geom still weighed heavily on her heart, driving her to push herself with such harsh intensity.
I smiled bitterly.
“Training should only be done to the point where your body doesn’t suffer damage.”
“…I couldn’t even win the martial tournament. How can I…revenge….”
She clenched her fists, her body trembling.
By fortune, she had leaped over a wall and stepped into a new realm, gaining confidence, but she had awakened to the truth that it was all merely illusion.
Her eyes, drowning in despair, seemed to have fallen into the grip of inner demons.
I sighed and gently patted her shoulder.
“I have good news for such a Junior Prince.”
“News…?”
“Yes, I have decided to go to Sichuan.”
“…!”
Upon hearing of the sudden journey to Sichuan, Seol Ha-yeon’s eyes widened. Her expression clearly showed disbelief, but soon she lowered her gaze and averted her eyes.
“I should go and see for myself… Is there anything I can do?”
“It’s not specifically about that matter, but couldn’t we gain something from it?”
“It’s not because of Gang Cheonho?”
“No, something more complicated and troublesome has come up.”
I offered a bitter smile and cast aside my unsettling thoughts.
There was no need to dwell on headaches until I saw things with my own eyes.
For now, I simply needed to find those who would accompany me to Sichuan.
Who would be suitable?
Seol Ha-yeon was a definite choice.
If I didn’t take her along, she would go alone regardless, and seeing her current state, I couldn’t predict what she might do once she fell into demonic obsession.
Next would be—
“Young Master?”
I caught Namgung Yeon by the shoulder as she passed by.
Startled by the sudden action, she looked at me, but I simply gave her a look that said to follow without question.
I felt Seol Ha-yeon and Namgung Yeon hurrying along behind me.
I tried exchanging glances to understand what was happening, but Seol Ha-yeon, unable to comprehend my sudden behavior, merely shook her head in confusion.
Next in my line of sight was Chu Hyeongi.
“Get up, you fool!”
Along with a harsh shout, the sprawled figure writhed like a worm.
But Gu Gunbaek showed no intention of mercy.
He swung his fist as if to say that if the man wanted to lie there, he should just die.
Crash—!
“Kyaaah!?”
Chu Hyeongi hastily rolled to his feet and threw himself out of the way.
Seeing the spot where he had been lying shattered to pieces, I swallowed hard.
I stared at it for a moment, then shook my head.
Disqualified.
I had no confidence in taking Chu Hyeongi away from an enraged Gu Gunbaek.
So what remained?
I naturally made my way to the medical chamber and opened the door.
The first thing I saw was Chaeseoha, and beside her, Na Cheonmun in servant’s attire was moving about busily.
“You come too. It seems we’ll need you.”
“What is this, treating a person like an object?”
Chaeseoha let out a hollow laugh and furrowed her brow.
Soon she looked back and forth between me, Namgung Yeon, and Seol Ha-yeon, and as if remembering something, she sighed and shook her head.
“Don’t tell me you’re going somewhere again?”
“Yes, this time it’s quite far.”
“Where?”
“Sichuan.”
At the mention of Sichuan, both Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon looked startled.
Yet contrary to my expectation that she would flee at any moment, her eyes gleamed with excitement as she rose swiftly from her seat.
As if she had been anticipating this all along.
“You’re not opposed to it?”
“Sichuan has the Dang Family, doesn’t it? They’re famous for their poisons there. Having poisons means there are abundant toxic plants. And if there are antidotes to neutralize them, that means there are plenty of medicinal herbs.”
She spoke of Sichuan with deliberate precision, her face breaking into a radiant smile. She was clearly eager to know when she could depart.
I smiled and turned my gaze away.
Na Cheonmun stood there, staring blankly in my direction.
Since this concerned the Dark Sect, he might prove useful and could possess valuable information, but I deliberately ignored his stare.
“Um… Young Master? Aren’t you asking me to go as well?”
At Na Cheonmun’s cautious question, I regarded him steadily.
Countless questions arose in my mind, but I ultimately refrained from voicing them, shaking my head with a small sigh.
“No. It doesn’t seem like the right place for you.”
This matter involved the Dark Sect, whether I liked it or not.
I could not bring someone who might become an internal threat, nor was he in a position to provide answers to the doubts that lingered.
So I let it go.
“Then is this everyone going to Sichuan?”
At that moment, Chaeseoha, who had been observing the situation, posed the question.
However, as she surveyed the gathered group, her brow furrowed slightly, and she voiced her displeasure with a sharp tone.
“But why is it only women?”
“It happened to turn out that way.”
“Did it really just happen? That seems suspicious.”
The way she narrowed her eyes while staring intently with a meaningful gaze reminded me amusingly of a wife suspecting her husband of infidelity.
“Don’t worry. There are others I intend to bring along.”
With those words, I turned my gaze toward the window.
The vast medicinal herb garden that Chaeseoha had cultivated.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that half of all medicinal herbs in the Central Plains were gathered there.
I could see two people harvesting herbs in that place.
Yeon-un and Haryeon.
My gaze took them in.
“Surely not? You’re taking those two?”
As the perceptive Chaeseoha grasped the situation and exclaimed in surprise, I rested my chin on my hand, nodded while continuing to observe them, and watched them lightly.
Haryeon, who had been naturally tending the herbs, glanced around and noticed me. Upon seeing the child pause and fix their gaze on one spot, Yeon-un’s eyes followed.
“Young Master!?”
Upon discovering me, Yeon-un exclaimed in surprise, and soon wore the same bright smile as always, waving his hand.
An innocent expression.
Observing this, I felt a deep smile bloom across my face.
“Perhaps I might witness something quite amusing.”

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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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