The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 45

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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 Nakhyang Jin Family – Chapter 106

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“He’s left?”
“Yes, he departed from Haebi early this morning.”
Mo Yong-cheon nodded as he listened to the bowing man’s report. He had heard that the departure would come soon, but it had happened later than he’d anticipated.
He still didn’t know the reason why.
“Did he leave in good condition?”
“Yes, I personally confirmed that Jin Cheon-u boarded the carriage looking perfectly fine.”
“What about the Namgung side?”
“Two days ago, I saw them return home to gather their belongings, and this morning they joined up and departed together.”
“So he really did take the Namgung children with him.”
Mo Yong-cheon frowned, his wrinkled brow creasing deeper as he shook his head.
He would have preferred to keep the Namgung children within reach.
Though they had already fallen and been trampled, the Namgung clan’s hidden strength was not something to be dismissed so lightly.
But if they had entered the Nakhyang Jin Family, there was nothing he could do.
No matter how powerful the Moyong Family was, exerting influence over the Nakhyang Jin Family would be too burdensome.
Though the outcome was somewhat unsatisfactory, what was already done could not be undone. Mo Yong-cheon cleanly erased the matter of the two siblings from his mind.
“Was there anything else suspicious?”
“There was one mysterious old man.”
“An old man?”
“Yes, judging by his impressive physique, he appeared to be someone trained in external martial arts. I sent a message to Paeng Sohyeop, who attended the Family Head Jin’s birthday celebration, to verify. It turns out he is the martial arts instructor of the servant whom the Young Master So keeps with him.”
At the mention of a martial arts instructor, Mo Yong-cheon’s eyes gleamed.
Could it be?
Such a thought came to him first.
But the man’s next words negated that suspicion.
“He was apparently a minor military official from the countryside. For reasons unknown, he recognized the servant’s talent and took him as a disciple. Now he resides as a guest of the Jin Family.”
“What of his skill?”
“We approached near the inn and observed him. Beyond his impressive physique, there was nothing particularly noteworthy. He is clearly a typical practitioner of external martial arts.”
“External martial arts, then….”
Mo Yong-cheon laughed incredulously as he spoke the words “external martial arts.”
If the man had spoken to this extent, it meant he had approached closely and confirmed much before reaching his conclusion.
Then ultimately, it meant he was simply a martial artist with an impressive physique.
As external martial arts typically were.
One could gain great strength, durability, and a physique intimidating enough to threaten others, but compared to those who had cultivated internal energy, there were many shortcomings.
This was why external martial arts had essentially become obsolete.
Even the warriors of the Namman Wild Beast Palace, who trained their bodies to the extreme, did they not learn martial techniques centered on internal energy cultivation?
Such a man could not have raised Jin Cheon-u or made Yeom Ji-hak what he was.
“Nothing at all.”
Sigh—
Mo Yong-cheon exhaled deeply once more, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.
He continued scrutinizing the Chohyeon Clan, searching for any clue that might prove useful, yet nothing substantial had emerged thus far.
Even Jin Cheon-u, whom he’d considered most suspicious, yielded nothing incriminating.
As if he bore no connection to this entire affair whatsoever.
It was almost enough to make his own suspicions seem absurd.
Mo Yong-cheon tilted his head to the side, his expression troubled.
By all visible evidence, he should distance himself from that man without hesitation, yet whenever he attempted to cast aside these doubts, an inexplicable sense of foreboding gripped him.
Should I dig deeper?
As such thoughts crossed his mind and he prepared to issue an order—
A sudden commotion erupted from outside.
“Family Head, urgent news has arrived.”
“What is it?”
The unexpected interruption severed his train of thought, and Mo Yong-cheon furrowed his brow, his gaze fixed upon the door.
The door swung open, and a man strode inside.
He entered with hurried steps, bowed his head, and spoke.
“Last night, a band of brigands was annihilated not far from here.”
“Is the death of some brigands truly urgent news?”
“That is… the one who slew the brigands was none other than… Pyo Hyeong-geom.”
“…!”

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Clatter—clatter—
I lay still with my eyes closed.
I felt the jolting sensation of the carriage, and various sounds filled my ears.
I sharpened my senses from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes.
Soon, as I concentrated my mind and sank into a state of selflessness, the sounds that had been reaching me faded away, and even my sensations grew dull.
What emerged in my thoughts was none other than Yeom Ji-hak’s image.
His expression, his eyes, his movements and presence.
I recalled each of these one by one and etched them into my mind.
I aimed for the openings in his movements.
I countered the swinging blade.
If I considered the familiar motions of my body, it seemed I could manage it, yet despite it being nothing more than illusion and not reality, I was repeatedly blocked and counterattacked.
As if to make me feel the difference between myself and Yeom Ji-hak right now.
I cannot defeat him as I am now.
Feeling this painfully, I erased his image from my mind.
When I quietly opened my eyes, I saw a gaze fixed upon me.
It was none other than Gu Gunbaek.
“Were you meditating?”
“I had something to think about for a moment.”
“Hehehehe, your thoughts are predictable. How to defeat that fellow, I imagine?”
Gu Gunbaek read my thoughts with such precision, as if he had peered into my mind, and smiled.
It was quite a mischievous smile, I thought.
Without realizing it, I wore a bitter smile and shook my head.
“As you know, a difference in level cannot simply be called a difference in skill.”
“True. But you can be overwhelmed by that difference in level. Just like you were then. You were completely overwhelmed, weren’t you?”
I had no choice but to admit it.
Just as before, knowing his movements and martial techniques, I had grasped my sword thinking I might perhaps win.
But the situation exceeded the level I had anticipated.
I could not even react to his movements.
Even using the power of the Curved Jade to glimpse the near future, I realized anew that if he moved with intent, there was nothing I could do.
A gap of that magnitude cannot be crossed by mere fortune.
If there was anything I managed to salvage, it would be one thing?
“I did wound one of his eyes.”
“Such things are usually called luck. And eyes mean nothing. The fact remains—you failed to kill him.”
Once again, words that struck at the heart reached my ears.
Wounding his eye was not something to be satisfied with.
At the critical moment, I swung my blade, yet failed to kill my opponent.
That was the crucial fact.
In a deadly duel with a true blade, wounding the opponent does not decide the outcome.
Victory and defeat are only determined when you kill your opponent.
I had failed at that, and ultimately, the tables were turned.
A painful blunder.
“Ehehehe, you’re lucky to be alive! If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead. Do you understand?”
“I understand perfectly. I owe you a great debt.”
“Ahahaha! That’s all I needed to hear! Buy me some expensive liquor later.”
Satisfied with my response, Gu Gunbaek burst into hearty laughter.
Given Gu Gunbaek’s nature, I knew he hadn’t simply joined that situation to save me, but regardless, had he not appeared, I would have been in considerable danger—a debt I couldn’t deny.
Unable to help myself, I smiled at the sound of his laughter and quietly raised my upper body.
The moment I lifted myself up, my wounded injuries cried out in protest.
Though improved from before, I felt anew that my body couldn’t return to normal in such a short time.
The laughter that had been echoing faded, and it was then that I felt Gu Gunbaek’s gaze upon me once more, studying me intently.
“But was it alright? The Moyong bastards were completely encamped and watching.”
“For now, it’s fine. Suspicion requires distance to take root, does it not?”
True to our agreement, Gu Gunbaek concealed himself as much as possible, feigning ignorance of their presence even as they approached and observed us.
Making himself appear as nothing more than one who had trained only in external martial arts.
Unless the Sword Emperor himself came to confront him, I was confident no one could discern Gu Gunbaek’s true identity.
Thus, they would sense something amiss, yet fail to pinpoint exactly what troubled them.
As time stretched on, traces and clues would fade further, until eventually they would find nothing and sink into confusion.
To achieve this, I needed to divert the Sword Emperor’s attention, at least temporarily.
I turned my gaze toward Namgung Yeon, who sat beside Gu Gunbaek.
Startled by my sudden attention, she shrank back slightly.
“How was your first real combat?”
“The feeling… wasn’t pleasant.”
Namgung Yeon’s complexion had turned ashen.
Her first taste of actual combat.
When she grasped the sword, she must have understood that she would need to cut down people, but when faced with that reality, most hesitate to strike.
The bandits, however, were different.
They were men who had committed countless murders while pursuing their crimes.
Having killed without remorse, their blades came at her without hesitation or doubt.
The small wounds visible on her body were surely the result of that merciless assault.
It must have been quite harrowing.
Yet in the end, she succeeded.
She must have realized that failure meant her own death.
“Everyone hesitates at first. When I swing my blade, a person dies. But don’t burden yourself with guilt over the lives of worthless men.”
At my words, Namgung Yeon clenched her fists and nodded.
Worthless lives, after all.
Men who sustained themselves through murder and theft would have eventually fallen to another’s blade if not hers.
There was no need to carry guilt for that.
But such words wouldn’t reach her ears. The shock of last night was still vivid in all her senses.
Yet this would turn the Sword Emperor’s attention away.
Because the name Pyo Hyeong-geom had appeared once more.
Since I’ve brought humiliation upon the Moyong Family, it’s obvious they’ll search for me with eyes blazing.
They won’t have the capacity to search for traces of the Chohyeon Clan.
I let out a quiet chuckle.
“The traces?”
“I did as you instructed. The Namgung Family’s martial techniques remained concealed.”
Namgung Yeon steadied his breathing and replied.
From the start, dealing with bandits.
There was no need to employ the Namgung Family’s martial arts, so I’d instructed him to handle it through the simplest methods possible.
Even if the Sword Emperor himself went to examine the corpses directly, there would be no risk of anything being revealed.
I’d succeeded in diverting the Sword Emperor’s attention, and as a bonus, Namgung Yeon had gained practical combat experience—truly killing two birds with one stone.
Without realizing it, I smiled as I thought of the Sword Emperor.
The members of the Moyong Family focused their efforts on surveilling the inn.
The fact that they paid no attention whatsoever to the fallen Namgung Family and Namgung Yeon was because, thanks to Namgung Baek’s efforts, her abilities had never leaked to the outside world.
That was Mo Yong-cheon’s critical mistake.
“Does what I’ve done… truly help you, Young Master?”
“Of course. It has helped tremendously.”
“…And them?”
“They won’t have a moment to think of anything else while searching for the Pyo Hyeong-geom.”
At my words spoken with conviction, Namgung Yeon clenched his fist once more.
His eyes gleamed with the intensity of one who would not hesitate to leap into hellfire itself if his actions could harm the Moyong Family.
The shock-stricken expression from moments before had vanished without a trace, and now he appeared to be a true warrior in his own right.
I confirmed this transformation and turned my gaze toward the window.
Taking in the passing scenery, I lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.

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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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