The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 373

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Youngest Son of the Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 373

“Huff… huff… Is it… is it over?”
“It appears… so.”
Dang Cheon-ro nodded toward Cheong Do-sang, who was breathing heavily with exhaustion.
His gaze swept across the surroundings.
Some corpses were visible, others obscured. Their identities and purposes remained unknown, but one thing was unmistakable.
They were strong.
Both the corpses and the living.
Even with Dang Cheon-ro, Myeong Jeong, and Cheong Do-sang combining their full strength in martial techniques, a considerable number of disciples had still fallen or been wounded.
Dang Cheon-ro turned his gaze away with a bitter smile.
At least there was one saving grace.
Namgung Yeon and Seol Ha-yeon.
Without their martial prowess, the battle would have been far more difficult, and half their forces could have easily perished.
And one more person.
“Her name was Chaeseoha, correct?”
“Yes, Family Head. Is something the matter?”
“Nothing. I merely wished to express my gratitude.”
Dang Cheon-ro watched Chaeseoha tending to the wounded with undisguised amazement. Among those critically injured, not a single soul had expired.
This was entirely due to Chaeseoha’s medical skill.
Without her, the casualties would have been far greater.
“I was merely fulfilling my duty. There is no need for concern.”
Chaeseoha spoke matter-of-factly, her hands moving swiftly.
Focusing solely on her patients, she did not even glance toward him—the Family Head of the Dang clan—which was, if anything, peculiar.
And more than that.
…
Dang Cheon-ro’s eyes shifted to the area surrounding Chaeseoha.
The fallen corpses were undoubtedly Dark Sect disciples.
Each bore the marks of a surprise attack—vital points pierced in a single strike, death instantaneous. To Dang Cheon-ro’s knowledge, no one present possessed such martial prowess.
Which meant—
A chill ran down his spine.
Dang Cheon-ro expanded his senses, cold sweat beading on his brow.
Someone stood beside Chaeseoha.
Yet even he, the Family Head of the Dang clan, could not perceive this presence—a realization that made him understand this woman’s value extended far beyond her medical skill alone.
Dang Cheon-ro steadied his breathing and turned his gaze elsewhere.
“You have our gratitude as well. The Dang clan is in your debt.”
“The Ami Sect shares this sentiment. Amitabha.”
“Cheongseong shall ensure this debt is repaid.”
At the voices calling out from various directions, Namgung Yeon’s expression grew awkward. Jin Cheon-u had always handled such situations, and without him, he found himself uncertain who should step forward.
However, Seol Ha-yeon hailed from the Northern Sea, and Chaeseoha was occupied with pressing matters.
In the end, the only person who could truly be called a member of the Jin Family was Namgung Yeon, so she cupped her fist in salute and bowed her head.
“I hope you won’t consider this a debt. We too received assistance, and this was not merely a personal matter but rather a resolution of a problem affecting the righteous martial world, was it not?”
“Haha, I’m grateful for your words. Indeed, the spirit of Namgung knows no bounds.”
“Thank you, Family Head.”
“But… where on earth has Young Master Jin gone?”
Dang Cheon-ro scanned the surroundings, searching for Jin Cheon-u.
Had he stepped forward, the situation would have concluded far more smoothly, or so Dang Cheon-ro thought. Yet the young master had vanished at some point and remained absent even now that the battle had ended.
He expanded his senses to search, and even visually confirmed the surrounding area, but Jin Cheon-u was nowhere to be found.
As a result, Namgung Yeon wore a bitter smile.
“The Young Master must be…”
Whoooosh—!
That was when it happened.
Just as someone was about to speak.
A fierce wind swept through, and a chilling sensation seized the entire Black Plum Forest.
The petals of the black plums swirled wildly, revealing an ominous aura, and everyone present gasped, cold sweat streaming down their faces.
Their palms had grown damp without warning.
“D-demonic energy…?”
“What in the world is this!”
A power so tremendous that bodies trembled.
Even the Ten Sovereigns, said to encompass all under heaven, could not compare to the aura now being felt.
The expressions of those who had relaxed their guard hardened in an instant, and their eyes grew increasingly clouded with fear as they felt the chill coursing down their spines.

* * *

The Great Demon King.
A legendary figure said to have founded the Heavenly Mountain Dark Sect, and still a formidable existence worthy of being named among the greatest of all ages.
Revered as a god by Dark Sect disciples, and it would be no exaggeration to say he embodied terror itself for Jeongdo and his followers.
Yet how much time had passed?
A thousand years.
His bones and flesh should have crumbled to dust long ago, and the only ways to know he had ever existed should have been through ancient texts and stories passed down through generations.
Goooooo—
And yet I stood before Mok Nae-i, the Great Demon King who should have vanished ages ago.
A figure gripping a sword, standing motionless.
Though his body seemed fragile enough to shatter at the slightest touch, he stood firmly rooted to the ground without wavering even as wind whipped around him violently, his crimson eyes fixed upon me without faltering.
Zzzzzt—
Demonic energy flowed forth in a torrent unlike anything I had ever felt from Muk-hwang, and with it came a suffocating killing intent that pressed down upon us.
I, along with Heo Baek, Gang Cheonho, and even Mo Ryeong-san, stood silent as we beheld this Great Demon King.
Slowly, he raised his hand and embedded the Gok Ok into his own chest.
A provocative smile played at his lips, as if daring us to try and take it if we could.
Then those crimson eyes turned toward us.
Flash—!
The moment his gaze blazed.
“…!”
Skreeeee—!
“Kugh!?”
Feeling my chest tear open, I threw myself backward.
But there was no time to cry out in pain.
The Great Demon King, who had appeared before me in an instant, swung his weathered sword with eyes that seemed to mock us.
Clang—!
The moment our blades met, the ground caved inward and I felt myself driven downward. The overwhelming force transmitted through the blade threatened to shatter my entire body.
This was no joke.
He was not an opponent I could contend with.
One clash was enough to understand it—the vast difference in power between the Great Demon King and me.
I gripped my sword with both hands and desperately held my ground, but as if mocking my efforts, he moved his blade with subtle precision and pulled me toward him.
Screeeee—!
“…!”
I had foreseen what was coming, but there was no time to react.
His extended hand grazed my cheek before his forearm, sharp as a scythe, seized my neck and dragged me into his embrace.
At the same time, I felt my vital energy draining from my body.
The Heavenly Demon Energy Absorption Technique.
As my vital energy flowed out, the Great Demon King’s complexion gradually returned to its true form. His eyes, which had only gleamed before, began to regain their luster.
Soon the absorption technique burrowed all the way to my dantian and spread throughout my entire body, and in the next moment, it began to draw upon my innate vital energy.
“Hey now, you’re really going to give him everything?”
Gang Cheonho’s fist, swung with all his might, crashed down toward the Great Demon King.
The opponent who had been smiling at me turned his gaze away, and as he sensed Gang Cheonho’s overwhelming power crashing toward him, he leisurely raised his sword and swung it.
Clang!
Was Gang Cheonho’s strength beyond imagination?
The Great Demon King’s body shook from the collision.
At the same time, Gang Cheonho, a deep smile playing at his lips as if entertained, attempted to rush toward the Great Demon King.
I recognized this as an opportunity.
The moment Gang Cheonho and the Great Demon King clashed would be my only chance to escape this place.
But then.
“…!”
Gang Cheonho’s advancing movements halted abruptly.
As if someone’s voice transmission had struck his ears.
After staring intently at the Great Demon King and me for a long moment, Gang Cheonho furrowed his brow and withdrew his momentum.
Mo Ryeong-san did the same.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue lightly and quietly stepped back.
As if he had no intention of interfering, I found myself frowning despite myself.
Screech—
In that instant, the Great Demon King appeared before my eyes.
I hastily evaded and created half a step of distance, then barely dodged his extending hand while swinging my sword.
Boom!
My body was driven backward by the force that erupted at close range.
Yet the Great Demon King remained unmoved, as if unbothered.
Suddenly he vanished, then reappeared before me, holding an old, chipped blade, and licked his lips.
Screech!
A sharp warning surged through my mind.
In that moment, my innate qi drained away and all my movements slowed.
But.
The Great Demon King’s movements were so fast they transcended my perception, and even slowed, they remained impossibly swift.
I hastily retreated and deployed the ultimate defensive technique.
Screech—!
“Ugh!”
I felt the sensation of corroded metal tearing into flesh.
Muscles ripping, nerves shattering.
Simultaneously, I fought to maintain consciousness against the pain that pierced to my very marrow, pushing off the ground and rolling away.
“Cough!”
Even as I rolled across the earth, I desperately tried to create distance from the Great Demon King, but to him it was merely pathetic thrashing.
As if unwilling to release prey once marked, his figure blurred again and his shadow fell over me.
Hisss—!
His lips curled upward in a dark grin.
As if inviting me to struggle further.
I clenched my teeth.
Narrowing my eyes against that chilling gaze, I steadied my breathing.
My vital energy had been drained almost entirely, leaving me feeling like nothing but dust, and the pain from the cuts scattered across my body intensified with each passing moment.
The instant the old, rusted sword was swung once more.
I drew upon every ounce of strength remaining and unleashed my blade.
Screech—!
“…!”
Yet it was utterly futile.
The Great Demon King’s sword, which seemed as though it would shatter at any moment, cleanly severed my energy and displayed its majesty, and that chipped blade appeared ready to cut straight through my chest.
“Young Master!”
Crash—!
Simultaneously, I heard Yeon-un’s voice.
He rushed forward and struck my body hard with his shoulder.
As my body was driven back by that force, I quickly reached out and grabbed Yeon-un, twisting my body to roll across the ground.
Screech—!
It was then that the Great Demon King’s sword cleaved through empty air.
“Gasp… gasp….”
I heard Yeon-un’s ragged breathing as he barely escaped with his life.
I too broke into a bitter smile, cold sweat dripping down my face.
“I owe my life to you.”
“A-are we actually alive right now? But it feels like we’re about to die soon….”
Yeon-un stared at the Great Demon King with an expression of utter disbelief. He was a presence that seemed capable of crushing and suffocating a person merely by being observed.
His gaze, laughing mockingly, briefly confirmed Yeon-un and me.
Zing—zing—
I narrowed my eyes as I watched him.
“Does it not feel as though we’ve become targets?”
“Y-yes, I share that thought.”
Gang Cheonho and Mo Ryeong-san were observing us with interest, as if they were merely ‘watching.’ As if they possessed curiosity about the Great Demon King’s martial prowess.
On the other hand, Heo Baek?
Whoosh—!
“Leave it to me.”
Realizing that seizing the Gok Ok from the Great Demon King was not realistically feasible, he had already launched himself away from his position.
It was not merely a matter of the Great Demon King alone.
The interference that would arise from facing him.
He would have to exchange blows with Gang Cheonho and Mo Ryeong-san as well.
Heo Baek had judged the situation unfavorable, and remaining in place itself seemed to him a significant loss.
I watched the figure pass by and broke into a bitter smile.
However, as expected.
The Great Demon King would not permit it.
A coldly gleaming, blood-red sword energy was unleashed.
Whoosh—!
“Ugh!?”
Heo Baek twisted his body to block as he fled, but the overwhelming force of someone on a different level crushed him instantly, driving him into the ground.
Crash—!
“Cough!”
The moment a violent groan burst from Heo Baek’s lips.
I glanced at him and let out a hollow laugh.
“That’s what happens when you try to survive alone.”
“Damn it…!”
Hearing his crude curse, I rose to my feet. I gripped my sword and steadied my breathing, my gaze fixed firmly ahead.
The Great Demon King remained unchanged.
He hadn’t lowered his guard in the slightest, and despite appearing relaxed, there wasn’t a single opening.
His raised, dark smile was unmistakable mockery.
As I sighed and turned my gaze, I felt their stares.
“Krahaha!”
“Ohoho!”
Gang Cheonho and Mo Ryeong-san.
Despite the massive presence of the Great Demon King, they paid no mind, watching this situation with apparent enjoyment as mere spectators.
Seeing their behavior, I smiled with contempt.
“Both of them—they really do underestimate people quite a bit.”
Haa—
I exhaled a long breath, my eyes gleaming with intensity.
My entire body ached.
Even standing and enduring was becoming difficult.
But knowing that if I didn’t stand firm, I would collapse, I tightened my grip on the sword and shifted my gaze.
At the end of my gaze was Heo Baek.
I confirmed he was watching for another opportunity.
“Can you do it?”
“Are you suggesting we join hands?”
At my single word, Heo Baek caught on to something, his eyes showing bewilderment. Yet his voice was quite calm, for he too understood there was only one path forward.
“We can’t escape.”
“….”
A swallowing sound flowed out, as if Heo Baek also understood well.
Hearing that, I smiled quietly.
“Then we have to create a situation where we can survive.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————