The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 51

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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 51

I gazed steadily at Namgung Baek.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
The man who had been radiating resentment seemed to acknowledge reality, his shoulders sagging as a long breath left him.
His eyes held no light, no confidence—the bearing of someone who had been worn down by life’s cruelties.
Only then did I understand why Namgung Baek had joined this suppression. He spoke of money as his reason, but the true architect of the Suppression Squad was Moyong Hyeok.
By including Namgung Baek, he sought to make the positions of Moyong and the Namgung Clan painfully clear.
Darkly clear.
The Changryongdan Members’ mockery toward him alone proved the intention had succeeded admirably.
Of course, it was not merely that—there was also the meaning of surveillance and restraint.
Since Namgung blood seemed unlikely to fade quietly, there was an unmistakable intent to prune any sprouting branches.
Contemplating such things, I smiled.
After all, none of it mattered in the end.
The real problem was not Namgung Baek standing before me, but Moyong Hyeok’s failure to recognize his younger brother’s talent—a regret that would haunt him eternally.
As I harbored these thoughts, Namgung Baek turned to face me, a bitter smile etched upon his lips.
“You must think me pathetic, don’t you? I know it myself… but there’s nowhere left to lament my fate.”
“I give it no thought. Though I confess, I did not realize you were of the Namgung Clan.”
“Ha, what is the Namgung Clan? Just a ruined house. The Ruined Namgung Clan, that’s what we are. Hahaha.”
Speaking with self-deprecating mockery, Namgung Baek laughed hollowly, his eyes vacant and distant.
He understood his circumstances better than anyone, fully aware that no amount of struggle could lift him from this abyss.
Thus, he bore the countenance of one who had surrendered to fate.
Then.
A loud growl erupted from Namgung Baek’s stomach.
The mushrooms he had foraged proved insufficient. Unable to endure his hunger any longer, he scanned the surroundings, then drew his dagger and stabbed at something moving within the tall grass.
A spider, no larger than a palm, that had been wandering through the vegetation.
Once the struggling spider ceased its movements, he skewered it on a twig and began roasting it over the campfire.
Watching this, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.
No matter how hungry I had ever been, I had never resorted to eating spiders.
“Ah—does it look strange to you? Haha, it is rather grotesque, I admit, but it tastes better than one might expect. Would you care to try some?”
“No, thank you. I am not hungry.”
“It truly is delicious…”
Namgung Baek regarded me with an expression suggesting I simply failed to appreciate this delicacy, then began crunching down on the roasted spider.
Watching spider legs protrude from his mouth, I instinctively turned away, my gaze drifting toward the village.
Then came a sound that should not have been heard.
—Aaaaaahhhhh!
A scream from someone.
Following that cry, commotion erupted from various directions throughout the village.
Even Namgung Baek, mid-chew on his spider, turned his gaze toward the village—and unlike the situation we had anticipated, where the Black Crow Society would be suppressed one-sidedly, the resistance appeared far more formidable than expected.
True enough—word of the suppression had spread far and wide.
The Black Crow Society wouldn’t be fools to simply sit idle and accept their fate.
Our early arrival had caught them off guard, but it was naive to think they’d made no preparations whatsoever.
Countless traps and ambushes were undoubtedly lying in wait—as clear as daylight.
No matter how skilled the Suppression Squad was, this wouldn’t be easy.
I turned my head to gaze at Namgung Baek.
Envy glimmered in his eyes as he watched the village beginning to stir with commotion.
Despite his words, he clearly harbored considerable regret at being unable to participate.
I smiled faintly and reached out my hand.
Thud!
“Kgh!”
My fingers found his acupoint in an instant.
Watching his body crumple uselessly, I rose from my seat and approached the horse.
The bundle Jang Chuchyeong had secured remained perfectly intact.
I carefully unwrapped it and examined the contents: a common sword from the marketplace, a set of clothes bearing the Black Crow Society’s insignia, and a mask adorned with leopard patterns.
“Pyo Hyeong-geom, then…”
I smiled as I changed into the garments.
Pyo Hyeong-geom—the name that had fallen from the lips of the Black Crow Society members.
A master at his peak and sworn brother to the Guild Leader, or so they claimed?
Yet I’d never heard of such a master in the past, and the Black Crow Society members themselves had said they’d never seen him. Without question, it was a lie spun from the Guild Leader’s own mouth.
I donned the mask and fastened the sword at my side.
To any observer, I was unmistakably one of the Black Crow Society.
Should I appear before the Changryongdan or the Suppression Squad, they would undoubtedly ignite with fury and draw their blades without hesitation.
After one final inspection of my disguise and confirming nothing would give me away, I turned my gaze toward the mountain.
By now, Moyong Hyeok would have begun the suppression.
I moved swiftly toward his position.

* * *

The path up the mountain was no easier than the village itself.
Traps lurked everywhere, and unlike the Changryongdan members who were unfamiliar with the terrain, the Black Crow Society’s operatives knew this place like the back of their hand.
As a result, the advance was considerably slower than I had anticipated.
Yet despite this, an overwhelming disparity in martial power existed.
Shing!
“Ugh!”
Screech!
The Changryongdan members spreading out in all directions didn’t flinch, not even when caught in ambushes and navigating traps.
They simply cut down any enemy that appeared before them.
As if to prove they were truly the next generation to lead the Righteous Martial Arts World, their overwhelming momentum seemed impossible for anyone to withstand.
At the center of it all was Moyong Hyeok.
With each sweep of his blade, several heads flew skyward. It was a killing sword—merciless and devoid of compassion—driven by an unwavering will to utterly annihilate his enemies.
“…That’s Moyong Hyeok!”
“Guild Leader, what do we do? He’s actually here!”
Guild Leader Kang Chan-sak, observing the situation, swallowed hard.
I never imagined they would arrive this quickly. According to my calculations, they shouldn’t have reached here for another four days, yet that expectation was shattered in an instant.
The opportunity to dispose of the goods and flee had vanished.
Moreover, the strength of Moyong Hyeok and the Changryongdan far exceeded what I had anticipated. To all appearances, they were already complete martial artists, beyond even the late stages of cultivation.
“Aaaaagh!”
“P-please, spare—ugh!”
Screams of my subordinates echoed from all directions.
Unlike my expectation that they would buy me at least some time, the Changryongdan was advancing like an unstoppable force.
It was a hellscape—my underlings, positioned as mere delaying tactics, were being slaughtered one after another.
After watching this for some time, Kang Chan-sak clenched his fists. Then, hastily shouldering a bundle, he threw another toward the Deputy Leader beside him.
“Wh—what is this?”
“We run!”
“But our men are dying out there!”
“Would you rather we all die together?”
“No… that’s not what I meant….”
“Once we cross the mountain, we’ll be in Heterodox Sect Territory. The Changryongdan won’t dare pursue us there. We just need to lie low until things calm down.”
“No… then why didn’t we flee from the start instead of waiting until now!”
“You fool! We needed time to sell off the goods!”
“Good grief.”
Deputy Leader Yeom Ga pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
He couldn’t believe this disaster had been brought about for such a trivial reason. Yet regardless, the Changryongdan was nearly upon them, and their lives were in immediate danger.
Though I felt sorry for my dying subordinates, there was nothing I could do to save them.
The gap in power between us and them was simply insurmountable.
Whoosh—!
Then.
Something suddenly flew toward Kang Chan-sak.
Whoosh!
“Aaahhhhh!”
A beam of light pierced through like an arrow, sending Kang Chan-sak flying backward. Unable to brace himself against the sudden assault, his shoulder was torn clean through, and his agonized scream echoed across the mountain range.
“…Guild Leader!”
Deputy Leader Yeom Ga rushed urgently toward Kang Chan-sak.
The wound through his shoulder was far from ordinary.
With bone and flesh pulverized and scattered, it was clear to anyone watching that one arm would have to be abandoned.
Seeing Kang Chan-sak trembling violently, he hastily tore at his sleeve to fashion a bandage.
But this was no time for treatment.
“Did you truly believe you could escape, despite the considerable distance?”
At that same moment, Moyong Hyeok’s voice reached their ears.
His voice grew rapidly closer from afar, and as it reached them, Kang Chan-sak—clutching his shoulder—had to grit his teeth, his face drained of all color.
The harbinger of death had descended before them.
Moyong Hyeok.
In an instant, he had swept past the fallen subordinates and traps, landing before them with an eerie stillness. His gaze upon Kang Chan-sak held not the slightest trace of emotion.
As though he did not regard people as people at all.
Was it because of that cold, indifferent stare and overwhelming presence?
Among those of the Black Crow Society gathered nearby, not a single soul dared approach Moyong Hyeok.
There was a palpable sense that even a single step toward him would result in their bodies being shredded to ribbons.
Instead, they held their breath and gradually widened the distance.
As though attempting to flee.
An organization formed from the gathering of serious criminals who could not escape capital punishment.
Loyalty was something that could never exist among them.
Moyong Hyeok, as if aware of this truth, paid no heed to the gazes of the Black Crow Society members surrounding him. He came to a halt before Kang Chan-sak and Deputy Leader Yeom Ga, and smiled.
“A mere criminal organization has overstepped its bounds.”
“Ugh…!”
“Now, disappear.”
He wasted no time with delays or unnecessary words.
He closed the distance and raised his sword, then swung it toward Guild Leader Kang Chan-sak’s head.
In the moment Kang Chan-sak shut his eyes tight, bracing for the blow.
Clang!
Moyong Hyeok’s sword suddenly rebounded.
“…!”
Moyong Hyeok, who had not anticipated such a development, stared in surprise at a small projectile that had fallen to the ground.
He then turned his head to look toward where the projectile had come from.
Something was coming.
And at an incredible speed.
A shadow figure faster than an arrow materialized before his eyes. The mysterious assailant, wearing a leopard mask, descended while maintaining that blinding velocity, then wielded their sword with terrifying swiftness.
At the same moment, Moyong Hyeok moved his sword as well.
Clang!
Two swords clashed, sending forth a shower of sparks and a sharp, piercing ring that echoed across the air.
And it did not end with just one exchange.
Clang, clang—crash!
There was no telling who struck first.
They swung, parried, and swung again in relentless succession.
Within mere moments, over a dozen exchanges unfolded, each a breathtaking flurry of offense and defense that left all who witnessed it spellbound.
Crash!
The instant their blades locked once more, Shadow Figure and Moyong Hyeok simultaneously hurled themselves backward, releasing the force between them.
Whoosh!
Moyong Hyeok, now crouched low, skidded backward across the ground.
At the same moment, Shadow Figure too was dragged back a few paces.
Observing this, Moyong Hyeok’s eyes narrowed with a calculating gaze.
“Danju! A Powerful Expert!”
One of the Changryongdan Members, sensing the gravity of the situation, cried out. Upon hearing this, Moyong Hyeok furrowed his brow but kept his eyes fixed on Shadow Figure as he spoke.
“I am aware. Do not concern yourselves with this—attend to the surroundings.”
The Changryongdan Members, who had been about to charge through the Black Crow Society to reach us, came to an abrupt halt.
They felt the unwavering resolve in his command—do not intervene.
Anxiety gripped them, yet there was nothing to be done.
This was the Danju’s decision, and in all this time, his choices had never once proven wrong.
At that moment, Moyong Hyeok assumed a martial stance, his gaze fixed upon Shadow Figure.
“Who are you, then? You do not appear to be an ordinary member of the Black Crow Society.”
At this question, all eyes turned toward Shadow Figure.
The Changryongdan were curious, but truthfully, the Black Crow Society members were equally bewildered. They had never encountered anyone wearing such a mask before.
Kang Chan-seok and Yeom Ga shared the same sentiment, swallowing hard as they awaited the sound of Shadow Figure’s voice.
In that moment, a soft chuckle emerged from behind the mask, followed by a weighty voice.
“Pyo Hyeong-geom.”
The instant that familiar epithet reached their ears, the eyes of the Black Crow Society members widened in shock. Without thinking, they turned their gazes toward Pyo Hyeong-geom, and soon after—
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Pyo Hyeong-geom the Great Swordmaster has come to save us!”
“You are all finished now!”
A thunderous roar erupted across the mountain range.
As morale surged dramatically, the Changryongdan Members found themselves bewildered. Yet the ones most confounded by this turn of events were Kang Chan-seok and Yeom Ga.
Yeom Ga turned to Kang Chan-sak, demanding an explanation.
Shake, shake—
Kang Chan-sak could only stifle a groan and shake his head in response.
How could he answer when he himself understood nothing?
He could not fathom why a figure born of legend now stood before them in flesh and blood.

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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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