The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 361

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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 361

Clop, clop, clop—!
The road toward Sichuan.
Kicking up clouds of dust as we galloped swiftly, it seemed we would soon escape Henan.
Since we would enter Shaanxi and head toward Sichuan at this pace, I calculated we could reach Sichuan’s borders within a fortnight at the fastest.
I turned to glance back at Yeon-un.
Haryeon was nestled securely in his arms as he pursued from behind, and the child’s expression remained unchanged, as if already accustomed to this arduous journey.
The sight of the child sitting calmly atop the swaying horse without even a hint of strain contrasted sharply with Yeon-un, who was clearly enduring pain.
I found myself chuckling inadvertently.
“The child seems to be enduring this better than you.”
“Haha! He simply doesn’t show it, but I’m sure he’s suffering more than I am. He’s a patient one, after all.”
Yeon-un, his brow furrowed from the pain radiating through his lower body, gazed at Haryeon nestled in his arms and offered a gentle smile.
It was the expression of one gazing upon a daughter.
Warm and compassionate.
I too examined the expressionless child once more and spoke.
“Bear with it a little longer. We’ll find a place to rest soon.”
Nod—
Haryeon responded to my words with a nod.
The child’s eyes seemed to soften slightly.
Yet despite my words, time continued to pass endlessly without a village appearing, and though I spotted places suitable for camping occasionally, I did not stop.
“W-when exactly will we find a place to rest?”
At last, Yeon-un’s strained voice broke through his patience.
Only then did I survey my surroundings.
The sun was already descending toward the horizon, and darkness had begun to settle gradually.
Since we were in the mountains where dusk came faster than elsewhere, it seemed we should halt here.
I looked around and spoke to Yeon-un.
“Let’s find a place to make camp.”
“Haha, I wish you’d said so earlier… I’ve passed up four good spots.”
Yeon-un sighed with regret and began surveying the area. However, the terrain proved more treacherous than expected, making the search difficult, and only after considerable searching did we finally discover a suitable location.
But even that place was less than ideal.
The ground was uneven with embedded stones, and wet vegetation and fallen leaves were scattered everywhere, as if the sun rarely reached this spot.
While sleeping here would not be easy, it was comparatively better than other options.
Thus, we had no choice.
We selected the most suitable ground, spread our bedding, and kindled a fire.
The reason I built the fire larger than usual was likely my hope that the damp earth would dry somewhat.
Then, Chaeseoha approached with a weary body.
She gazed at me intently with hollow eyes.
“What is it?”
“No. It seemed… intentional somehow.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t.”
Her gaze drifted toward Yeon-un, who stood at a distance. More precisely, it fell upon Haryeon, who dozed fitfully beside him with his back against a tree.
Though she showed no outward sign, it was clear she was exhausted—her head tilted forward, unable to keep his eyes properly open.
I watched for a moment, then turned my gaze away.
“There’s no need to worry about such things.”
“Yes, yes. I was just thinking the child was working too hard. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Chaeseoha nodded dismissively and drifted away.
Yet her eyes remained fixed on Haryeon, and that alone revealed how deeply her affection for him had grown.
It made sense—she would naturally be more concerned about him than others.
I shook my head slowly and steadied my breathing.
Meanwhile, something peculiar was unfolding nearby.
“….”
“Is something the matter?”
Namgung Yeon and Seol Ha-yeon.
Seol Ha-yeon, who had been sitting quietly before the campfire lost in thought, had approached Namgung Yeon and was now gazing at her.
Whether it was difficulty finding words or deliberation, she merely stared, unable to let her voice pass through her throat.
At last, a sigh escaped, and her voice came.
“Would it be possible to request a sparring match?”
“…With me? Against the Junior Prince?”
“Yes, I’m asking for your help.”
At Seol Ha-yeon’s words, Namgung Yeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
She seemed to deliberate on her proposal for a moment, then looked toward me with a questioning gaze, as if seeking permission.
As if asking for my approval.
I found myself smiling and nodding.
“A good opportunity. Watch the Junior Prince’s swordsmanship carefully. You’ll come to understand what you lack.”
“Understood.”
At my words, Namgung Yeon’s eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. Just from the fearless light in her eyes, I could tell how much confidence her victory in this tournament had given her.
Seol Ha-yeon, however, was different.
She wanted to confirm that she could have won, had she not made mistakes.
By defeating Namgung Yeon.
“Will it be alright? Namgung’s younger sister is one thing, but… that Junior Prince… seems a bit unstable.”
Then Chaeseoha, who had been listening nearby, wore an ominous expression.
The state of being on the verge of falling into inner demons.
That was the most accurate way to describe Seol Ha-yeon’s current condition.
If she were to lose, there would be no stopping her collapse.
However—
“If you cannot overcome it, you crumble. That is what it means to be a martial artist.”
“You’re really… harsh, aren’t you.”
I smiled as I gazed at the two women.
I rose from my seat and ventured deeper into the mountains.
It was clear that an intense martial duel was about to unfold.
“Young Master, shouldn’t you go and watch?”
At that moment, Yeon-un asked with a worried expression.
Knowing the unusual intensity burning in Seol Ha-yeon’s eyes—something anyone could perceive—his gaze reflected anxiety about what might transpire.
But I shook my head and smiled.
“It will be an interesting duel.”
Namgung Yeon and Seol Ha-yeon.
Armed with talents and genius bestowed by heaven itself, they possessed overwhelming growth rates and capabilities.
Moreover, their reasons for gripping their swords so fiercely were remarkably similar.
Vengeance and restoration.
As two women bound by the same purpose, they could only be drawn to each other all the more intensely.
That is why this clash will be so fierce.
The moment their blades collide, they will understand.
That you and I are the same.
Thus, neither wishes to lose.
Whether something can be gained from the collision of their sword strikes will determine victory and defeat.
Kaaaaang—!
The sound of clashing blades echoed from afar, reverberating through the mountain ranges.
I steadied my breath quietly and savored that sound.
Tonight, someone will be tempered and someone will shatter.
The resonance shaking the dark mountains sounded like the stifled cry of someone desperately holding on, refusing to crumble.

* * *

In that single collision, Namgung Yeon and Seol Ha-yeon understood.
They were the same.
The momentum and fighting spirit contained within their swords were far too similar.
In that fleeting instant, the eyes of the two surprised women met, yet the blades in their hands flew forward with cold precision to suppress their opponent.
The swords clashed again, sending sparks cascading through the air.
Not just once, but repeatedly they probed for openings, parried, and the moment a defense was mounted, another gap was exploited.
The exchange never ceased, and the brilliant sparks blooming in the darkness created a magnificent spectacle.
Clang, clang, clang—!
“Ugh!?”
Yet, as if clearly proving the difference in skill, it was Namgung Yeon who gradually found herself being pushed back.
Rather than exchanging offense and defense, she soon found herself merely struggling to block Seol Ha-yeon’s relentless assault, her feet dragging across the ground under the weight of the encroaching cold and force.
Screech—!
Namgung Yeon wiped the cold sweat from her brow and steadied her ragged breathing.
Extraordinary.
That was the emotion she felt.
It had been the same when facing Myeong-ryun, but Seol Ha-yeon’s martial arts were distinctly different—sharper and infused with a more violent northern wind.
Each move was merciless.
Whoosh—!
The moment the swung blade tore through her collar, an icy wind seemed to freeze her very flesh.
Moreover, with each step Seol Ha-yeon took, the ground froze beneath her feet, making it nearly impossible for Namgung Yeon to maintain her balance and mount a proper counterattack.
This was the martial art of the Northern Sea Ice Technique!
Namgung Yeon felt her heart race as she steadied her breath.
She wanted to see more.
The swordsmanship of this high-level master.
Clang, clang, clang—!
A fierce sword strike came flying once more.
Simultaneously, pushed back another step, Namgung Yeon swallowed a groan and stared ahead.
“…!”
What entered her vision was a bizarre sight.
As Seol Ha-yeon took a step forward and moved her body, the ground froze in a straight line beneath her, and her form glided toward Namgung Yeon.
At a tremendous speed.
Startled, she hastily retreated, and the frozen sword energy cut through the air toward her. The moment she deflected it, a chill so intense it felt like her entire body would freeze surged through her.
“C-cold….”
Namgung Yeon steadied her mind and trembled.
The weather had already grown considerably colder.
Facing the chill of the Northern Sea on top of that, she couldn’t shake the feeling of standing naked in the dead of winter, drenched by an icy downpour.
“Huff—.”
As she exhaled a long breath, white vapor escaped her lips.
At the same time, a deep smile formed at the corners of Namgung Yeon’s mouth.
As if she were looking at Jin Cheon-u.
In that instant, the momentum shifted.
Her sword form, which had been executing the Cangqiong Wuai Sword Technique, transformed in a flash as her body launched forward, and the overwhelming power of the Hegemon engulfed even the bitter cold of the north wind, seeking to force her to her knees.
“The Imperial Sword Form!”
“That’s correct!”
Boom—!
It was still incomplete and crude.
Yet I was certain I could master this cold force.
My blade, piercing through the knife-like wind so bitter it could chill the bone, surged forward in a single breath to force Seol Ha-yeon to her knees.
The sword infused with the Hegemon’s might aimed at Seol Ha-yeon’s vulnerability, and without pause, it pressed relentlessly, beginning to seize complete control of the surrounding space.
It was Seol Ha-yeon who was shocked.
It was not merely the momentum that had changed.
The movement and the power woven into the blade were entirely different from before.
Heavy yet swift, and simultaneously exquisite.
The space dominated by the Hegemon’s power was like an absolute throne where even the greatest ministers could not help but bow their heads.
It was as though she had created the Imperial Hall itself.
Within that place, the Hegemon bows to no one.
Boom—!
The swung blade burst forth with frigid energy.
The north wind’s bitter cold scattered and vanished in an instant, and Seol Ha-yeon was driven back sharply, her teeth clenched.
Her eyes grew even colder.
I cannot lose.
I must never be broken.
Why do I grip this sword—that thought wavered in the darkness.
In that moment.
A chill ran through her.
Her gaze, which had been fixed on empty space, stopped,
and she locked eyes with a ‘someone’ who should not be seen.
Eyes without form, as though pulling her into an abyss.
In a flash, her mind reeled, and in the space left behind, only fury bloomed.
Blood trickled from her clenched lips, and her eyes grew increasingly bloodshot and crimson.
Unable to steady even her wavering heart, it seemed as though the whispers of the Heart Demon reached her ears.
He must die.
Gang Cheonho must die.
In that moment, the ‘sky-blue’ light completely vanished from Seol Ha-yeon’s eyes.
Instead, a sinister red glow, gleaming like pitch darkness, began to seep through.
The form of Namgung Yeon before her eyes blurred, and soon began to transform into a grotesque shape.
Gang Cheonho.
A being bearing blood-soaked resentment now stood before her.
Boom—!
Her grip on the sword tightened with tremendous force, and the sharp momentum swelled further, bearing the murderous intent of vengeance.
“Junior Prince!?”
Namgung Yeon cried out in alarm, but her voice never reached Seol Ha-yeon’s ears. Instead, only Gang Cheonho’s derisive laughter lingered in the air.
A sword infused with the bitter cold of the Northern Sea swung toward Namgung Yeon.
Clang—!
In that instant, something flew through the air and deflected the blade.
Crash—!
Unable to withstand the force, Seol Ha-yeon tumbled across the ground several times, but with fierce determination, she quickly rose to her feet and fixed a cold gaze ahead.
The resonance of clashing swords ceased momentarily.
Through that gap, a figure stepped forward.
“So it comes to this.”
The one who emerged from the undergrowth was Jin Cheon-u.
He regarded Seol Ha-yeon with an indifferent expression, his brow furrowing slightly.
“G-Gang Cheonho—!”
Grind—!
However, Seol Ha-yeon did not recognize Jin Cheon-u.
To her eyes, it appeared as though another Gang Cheonho had emerged. Because of this, her killing intent only grew thicker, and the blood vessels in her eyes seemed ready to burst at any moment.
Whoosh—!
“…!”
But soon, she recoiled as an overwhelming force swept toward her.
The aura that Jin Cheon-u unleashed.
She felt an instinctive terror from it.
Seol Ha-yeon gritted her teeth and pushed off the ground, advancing forward.
In that moment, Jin Cheon-u appeared to intercept her, reaching to seize her collar, but the distance was too great, and Seol Ha-yeon’s lightness technique proved faster than anticipated.
His outstretched hand cut through empty air in vain.
“…Tsk.”
Jin Cheon-u, now planted firmly on the ground, clicked his tongue.
Seol Ha-yeon’s rapidly disappearing figure was becoming a mere speck in the distance.
“Young Master!”
“Do not hesitate. We pursue.”
“Yes!”

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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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