The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 41
—————
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 Nakhyang Jin Family – Chapter 102
* * *
Mo Yong-cheon, who had entered Hefei, found himself struggling to form words at the sight before him.
The Chohyeon Clan was a force that could be said to control all of Anhui.
Having visited this place several times in the past, I knew well how magnificent and beautiful it was, yet now only ruins remained.
The tall, sturdy walls had vanished without a trace, and the splendidly constructed pavilions of the estate lay in complete ruin, reduced to ash.
The collapsed Namgung Clan looked better in comparison.
How gruesome were the corpses being carried away one by one by the Martial Alliance branch members?
Most bore no recognizable human form, and even those that retained some semblance of a body were burned beyond identification.
This was the Chohyeon Clan.
Not a single soul had survived.
Whether direct descendants or distant relatives, everyone within the Chohyeon Clan had perished.
“How could this….”
“Whose doing could this be?”
“….”
Mo Yong-cheon offered no response to Moryeong Hyeok’s question.
The question of who was responsible mattered less than understanding their purpose.
Was it merely the Chohyeon Clan?
Or was it Yeom Ji-hak and the Blood Demon King within it?
Furthermore, who had reduced Yeom Ji-hak, the Four Corners’ cornerstone, to such a state?
Judging solely from what lay before me, the emergence of an impossibly powerful expert seemed undeniable.
Sigh—
Mo Yong-cheon exhaled deeply and turned his gaze toward one person.
The branch director of the Anhui Martial Alliance branch.
He addressed him directly.
“Were there no traces left behind?”
“My apologies, Family Head. We are searching as thoroughly as possible, but given that everything is destroyed and burned, it’s rather….”
The branch director shook his head with an awkward expression.
There was nothing to find when most of what mattered had been shattered or consumed by flames.
“What we have confirmed is… that this was the work of two people.”
“Two of them?”
“Yes, according to witnesses, one person was fighting someone, suffered severe injuries, and fled. Then another appeared later, and their collision created this devastation. It was as if a natural calamity had occurred, they say.”
At these words, Mo Yong-cheon stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The one who fled with injuries must have been whoever was clashing with Yeom Ji-hak. If so, the one who appeared later would be the powerful expert who reduced Yeom Ji-hak to this state.
As I pondered this, Moryeong Hyeok, who had been searching the surroundings for clues, cautiously approached and turned to the branch director with a question.
“Were there any suspicious individuals in the vicinity?”
“Suspicious individuals, you say? I’ve inquired here and there, but apparently there were none. Ah—! Not suspicious exactly, but I heard that the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family is staying at an inn.”
At those words, Mo Yong-cheon’s head turned.
When the incident with Pyo Hyeong-geom occurred, he had been nearby.
And now, at this very moment when this situation unfolded, he was in the vicinity once again.
Moreover, considering the extraordinary martial prowess that Jin Cheon-u possessed, I couldn’t help but suspect he might be deeply connected to this incident.
‘Or perhaps the one who fled is him.’
No matter how exceptional Jin Cheon-u’s skills were, he couldn’t overcome Yeom Ji-hak, so it was highly likely he had sustained grave injuries and escaped.
Mo Yong-cheon turned his head.
The Unryong Inn came into view in the distance.
“Are you thinking of going there?”
“Yes, at the very least I intend to hear something from them.”
Mo Yong-cheon nodded and moved toward the inn.
As he walked, his thoughts drifted to Jin Cheon-u.
I had seen him only once.
Yet strangely, he wouldn’t leave my mind.
The way he met the Sword Emperor’s gaze directly and spoke without hesitation, seeming to reveal his true thoughts, yet carefully concealing what truly mattered—that peculiar sensation lingered.
As the bloodline of the Central Plains’ greatest merchant family, it was certainly plausible, but I couldn’t help feeling unsettled by something.
Lost in such thoughts, I arrived at the Unryong Inn before I knew it.
As I opened the door lightly and stepped inside, countless gazes from the guests poured toward me.
“…It’s the Sword Emperor!”
“Really! It’s really the Sword Emperor!”
“…Did you come because of the Chohyeon Clan matter? But isn’t this too soon for that?”
The noisy voices of the people reached my ears.
As a result, the innkeeper who had been relaxing inside was startled and rushed out, but Mo Yong-cheon merely glanced at him before heading toward the annex.
“Oh my! Family Head! That room is currently occupied by the Young Master, so you cannot enter.”
“I’m aware. I’ve come to meet him, so don’t concern yourself.”
“B-but, forgive me, even if you are the Family Head, you cannot enter at this moment.”
“You’re saying I cannot meet Young Master So?”
Mo Yong-cheon gazed at the innkeeper intently.
Though releasing no aura whatsoever, his eyes alone seemed capable of tearing the other apart.
As a result, the innkeeper blocking the way flinched and retreated.
Confirming this, Mo Yong-cheon naturally waved his hand and pushed forward, and the innkeeper, unable to resist, was simply swept aside.
With a hardened expression, Mo Yong-cheon advanced toward the annex without hesitation.
The very fact that someone—and not just anyone, but himself—was being prevented from entering could only mean one thing: there was definitely something here.
Soon, detecting signs of presence in a room, he opened the door without restraint.
Click—
* * *
The door burst open with a bang!
Someone appeared suddenly as the door swung wide.
The hand reaching for food froze, and naturally, everyone seated at the table turned their gaze toward the entrance.
What came into view was unmistakably Mo Yong-cheon.
He stared at me with trembling eyes.
I had anticipated someone might come looking, but this exceeded my expectations.
The Sword Emperor himself had arrived?
Yet this confirmed that the Moyong Family’s connection to those people ran far deeper than I’d imagined.
I rose slowly from my seat.
“Family Head Moyong, is it not? And…”
I trailed off deliberately, glancing toward the back.
There stood a familiar figure.
Moryeong Hyeok.
I had thought he wouldn’t be able to move for at least a year, yet he appeared far more intact than expected.
Both his shattered bones and spirit seemed completely restored.
Certainly, such recovery shouldn’t have been possible in such a short time.
Since I had personally handled the matter, the facts were clear. And only two people in the Central Plains could make such a thing possible.
One was Chaeseoha, the other was Sin Gak’s advisor.
He must have received their assistance.
“Young Master Moyong? I’m relieved to see you’re doing well.”
“It’s good to see you again.”
For some reason, when Moryeong Hyeok met my gaze, he seemed uncomfortable and quietly averted his eyes as he replied.
Though he tried to project confidence, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow diminished.
Was that the reason?
Mo Yong-cheon’s gaze flicked briefly toward his son before turning back to me with a question.
“I never expected to see your face in a place like this. What brings you here?”
His question carried much weight beneath its surface.
And the sharpness in his tone was no illusion.
He clearly suspected me of involvement in the collapse of the Chohyeon Clan and Yeom Ji-hak’s downfall.
I smiled faintly and gestured to one side.
“I came to meet Young Master Namgung.”
“Namgung…Baek? For what reason?”
“During the last Heukwoo Society incident, we attempted to recruit the young master into our clan but failed. So I’ve come to persuade him again. And while I’m at it…I thought I’d buy him a meal.”
At my words, Mo Yong-cheon looked toward Namgung Baek.
He sat before the lavishly spread table, chopsticks set down, his head hung low.
Mo Yong-cheon’s gaze and my voice were nothing short of terror to him in that moment.
In contrast, Namgung Yeon beside him stared intently at Moryeong Hyeok—the gaze of one regarding a future rival. Sensing my attention, he turned his head away.
It was then that Mo Yong-cheon’s gaze returned to me.
“Namgung Baek for the Nakhyang Jin Family? And you personally?”
“Yes, and we needed another attendant anyway. Young Master Namgung takes good care of people. An excellent choice. But what brings you here, Family Head?”
I approached him quietly.
Narrowing the distance naturally, I stood before him.
Then I extended my hand lightly, gesturing to the empty seat.
“If you don’t mind, would you care to join us for a meal?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Rather, do you know anything about the commotion that occurred last night?”
“Now that you mention it, there was quite a bit of noise. When I woke this morning, I heard something had happened… Is that what this is about?”
“Indeed. You truly know nothing of it?”
Mo Yong-cheon, who had been studying my face intently, withdrew his gaze and examined the others seated around the table.
However, when everyone present shook their heads, claiming ignorance, the furrow between his brows deepened further.
I turned my head, observing this reaction.
“Please, Family Head, sit. Allow me to offer you hospitality. This wine here is quite exceptional.”
I picked up the wine bottle on the table and extended it toward Mo Yong-cheon.
One could tell at a glance from the aroma alone that it was fine wine.
But Mo Yong-cheon showed no interest and shook his head, so I nodded in resignation and set the bottle down.
“Very well, no wine then. So you know nothing of this matter.”
“That is correct. If you require information, shall I make inquiries?”
I spoke with a faint smile, but Mo Yong-cheon shook his head. The Moyong Family had already leveraged the Nakhyang Jin Family’s intelligence network for Pyo Hyeong-geom’s sake.
He would have no desire to incur further debt.
As expected, Mo Yong-cheon turned away, showing no further interest.
“Should you recall anything during your stay, seek me out. The same applies to all of you.”
“We shall remember your words.”
With nothing more to say, Mo Yong-cheon and Moryeong Hyeok hastily departed the annex.
I watched their receding figures in silence and smiled.
They had come with some certainty, yet left with nothing—they must be thoroughly frustrated.
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
Searing pain flooded through my entire body.
“Ugh!”
“Young Master!”
After Chaeseoha’s voice, I heard nothing more.
* * *
“Have you discovered something?”
Mo Yong-cheon, making his way out of the inn, furrowed his brow at the sound of his son’s voice beside him, shaking his head.
Anyone could see the boy was suspicious, yet oddly, nothing incriminating emerged from him.
Had he truly suffered at Yeom Ji-hak’s hands, such trauma would have been written across his complexion and eyes.
No matter how hard one tried to appear unscathed, a Powerful Expert’s strike would leave unmistakable marks upon the body.
Yet Jin Cheon-u bore none of these signs.
His eyes were clear, his complexion ruddy with health.
One could never mistake him for someone bearing internal injuries or wounds.
“If all of this is truth, there’s no particular problem.”
Mo Yong-cheon muttered, his brow creasing.
In that moment, he felt his son’s gaze turn toward him.
“And if it is a lie… what then?”
“Then he becomes someone who must be killed before all others.”
Mo Yong-cheon murmured, Jin Cheon-u’s image lingering in his mind.
He harbored suspicions that Jin Cheon-u might somehow be involved in everything that had transpired thus far. Yet the evidence before his eyes, the circumstances unfolding piece by piece, all pointed away from Jin Cheon-u.
But what if all of this were a board he had constructed?
Nothing could be more threatening than that.
He halted mid-stride, turning his gaze back toward the inn.
Soon, recalling the image of the boy etched in his mind, he spoke.
“I pray it is not so.”
His voice dispersed into the night air of Nakhyang.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————