The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 52

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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 113

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Clop, clop—clop, clop—
I rode hard on horseback.
As if rest never crossed my mind, I pushed forward with minimal time for meals and breaks, riding recklessly onward.
Before my horse could collapse from exhaustion, I switched to a fresh mount and continued. In less than two days, I had crossed the neutral territory and fully entered Shanxi.
At the next village, I quickly exchanged horses and set my direction once more.
My destination was none other than the heart of Shanxi.
Taiyuan.
A place where countless heterodox sects and martial schools, fragmented and fiercely competing for territory, had been gathered together and unified under a single force.

Sadocheon.

That was my destination.
By now, Baek Ja-hyeon and the Hyangun Se Family should have met. My name would surely have come up, and the Hyangun Se Family would have felt their blood run cold.
The Young Master So, who should have come for negotiations, was instead heading toward Sadocheon—such confusion would surely plague their minds.
They would send a letter to Sadocheon to learn the truth.
But such an action would only help me.
Upon receiving the letter, Sadocheon would learn that the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family—incomparable to the Hyangun Se Family—was coming to visit them.
They would naturally open their doors and welcome me.
They would want to prevent me from entering Sadocheon by any means, but they would never realize that such efforts would actually aid me.
Their minds would be too confused to make sound judgments.
I smiled faintly as I gazed at the sight before me.
My destination, reached by riding hard while consuming the painkillers and vitality-restoring tonics that Chaeseoha had given me.
Taiyuan lay before my eyes.
I quickly led my horse inside the city.
Only then did I stop the horse and dismount.
I straightened my disheveled appearance and steadied my ragged breathing.
I stopped at the nearest fabric shop, changed into the finest clothes available, and slowly made my way toward Sadocheon.
I observed the people passing by.
They emanated an aura completely different from the righteous martial artists.
Sharp, perhaps? Or somehow sinister?
The gazes directed at me felt like those upon a wealthy person, but deep within their eyes lay a sinister calculation—as if wondering whether there was any way to exploit me.
Heterodox martial artists were all like this, past and present.
I smiled faintly as I suddenly stood before Sadocheon.
The massive structures rivaling the Martial Alliance and towering halls immediately caught my eye.
Had this been my first time, I would have been dazzled by such grandeur, but having seen many such places recently, I felt little interest.
After walking a short distance, I arrived at the main gate of Sadocheon.
The guards stationed there regarded me with peculiar expressions.
Soon, one of them bowed lightly and spoke.
“Might you be the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family?”
“Indeed I am… but how did you know?”
“Haha, please wait a moment. I’ll send word inside.”
Whether he already knew of my arrival or not, the gatekeeper spoke in careful tones, bowed, and hurried inside.
A brief moment passed.
As I stood idle in the quiet space, observing my surroundings, the firmly closed gate swung open and a middle-aged man emerged.
Remarkably tall—nearly as tall as Gu Gunbaek, though his build fell considerably short.
The middle-aged man gazed down at me, then let out a soft chuckle.
“I’ve been expecting you. I am Ryu Hyeok-sang, the Chief Administrator of Sadocheon.”
“I am Jin Cheon-u of the Nakhyang Jin Family.”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard much about you. Come now, what are you waiting for? Let’s go inside.”
I followed Ryu Hyeok-sang through the gate.
The moment I crossed the threshold, the landscape of Sadocheon unfolded before my eyes—distinctly different from when I had once observed the Martial Alliance.
Whether those passing through or those standing vigilantly, all kept their mouths sealed and their eyes sharp with unwavering caution.
A keen presence emanated from every corner.
I could sense that formidable masters guarded this place not only in visible positions but also from unseen vantage points.
“I never expected the Nakhyang Jin Family to seek out Sadocheon. My assumptions were quite mistaken. Haha.”
“As far as I know, this has never happened before.”
“True. Though I’ve heard the nearby Martial Alliance maintains some connections with you.”
“Likely because of the proximity.”
No matter how distant the Nakhyang Jin Family kept from martial sects, we were not entirely without ties.
Particularly with the Martial Alliance, given its nearness, we occasionally exchanged business.
Especially matters concerning goods transport and merchant houses.
The situation was different regarding Shanxi.
Since Sadocheon directly operated establishments in Shanxi, we often utilized those operations or entrusted matters to the Hyangun Se Family.
The fact that the Nakhyang Jin Family, centered in Hannam, could not even approach Sadocheon’s territory also played a role.
A soft laugh could be heard.
After walking some distance, we entered a main hall.
Upon opening the door and stepping inside, simple refreshments were already arranged—apparently prepared in advance.
Ryu Hyeok-sang gestured to a seat and sat down.
“Did you learn of my arrival from the Hyangun Se Family Head?”
“He seemed quite urgent about it. He kept insisting I shouldn’t meet you, but how could I ignore the Young Master So of the Nakhyang Jin Family?”
“You certainly weigh gains and losses carefully.”
“Haha, that’s the nature of a Chief Administrator’s position. One must do whatever is necessary for Sadocheon’s future.”
Ryu Hyeok-sang smiled and brought the tea to his lips.
I naturally followed suit, sipping the tea.
In that instant, I noticed a flicker of intrigue flash across Ryu Hyeok-sang’s eyes.
By aiding the Hyangun Se Family, Sadocheon and the Nakhyang Jin Family have become enemies in all but name.
He surely understood this situation, yet he brought the teacup to his lips without hesitation—not one I had offered him, but one already placed before him—and his expression betrayed a hint of surprise at my audacity.
“When I first heard that you were coming, I wondered what mistake the Hyangun Family Head had made. But now I see it clearly.”
“See what, sir?”
“Your courage must have burst from your belly and been hurled into the heavens themselves. Ha ha ha.”
Though his words were somewhat bizarre, his tone carried no malice.
With a broad smile still painted across his face, he turned his gaze back to me.
The corners of his mouth curled upward in a thin, deliberate line.
“So then, why have you sought out Sadocheon? Shouldn’t this be the time to negotiate with the Hyangun Family Head?”
“The Hyangun Se Family and… you’re asking me, sir?”
“Indeed. It was the Hyangun Se Family that seized your sister, and they orchestrated this affair for the sake of negotiation. Should you refuse, the Nakhyang Jin Family will face considerable hardship. Surely you’re aware of this?”
I nodded, affirming Ryu Hyeok-sang’s words.
Though one might argue they acted out of desperation to survive, I cannot deny that they have positioned themselves at the cliff’s edge.
Should negotiations collapse, they will choose to leap into the abyss, dragging the Nakhyang Jin Family with them—for they are already doomed.
They will not die alone.
Ha—
Laughter escaped me unbidden.
Ryu Hyeok-sang’s expression grew peculiar as he observed this.
“You seem remarkably unconcerned. Am I mistaken?”
“You are not mistaken. I truly am unconcerned.”
At my resolute words, Ryu Hyeok-sang’s eyes widened.
The mighty Nakhyang Jin Family had suffered an attack, and my sister and household members had been taken captive—a humiliation beyond measure.
In any martial sect, this would demand grinding one’s teeth and drawing steel, yet I dismissed it as trivial. He could not comprehend such a thing.
His expression asked: how could you possibly be so calm?
Any martial artist would have sworn a blood oath in such circumstances.
I smiled wickedly.
“The reason the Hyangun Se Family could commit such an act is precisely because of Sadocheon’s power, is it not?”
“…!”
“Without that backing, they would never have dared to draw their blades.”
The Hyangun Se Family’s attack on us?
It was infuriating, it was humiliating, it was a profound disgrace.
Yet the Hyangun Se Family could make such a decision only because the vast organization known as Sadocheon stood behind them.
They even dispatched the Jinpung Sword Sect—not mere foot soldiers of Sadocheon, but an elite unit.
Had the Hyangun Family Head been a more ruthless man, the Nakhyang Jin Family would have faced annihilation rather than mere injury.
Therefore, the problem was not the Hyangun Se Family.
It was Sadocheon.
That is why I have come here.
I regarded Ryu Hyeok-sang with a slightly crooked expression.
“Do you intend to continue supporting the Hyangun Se Family?”
“Ha ha… ha ha ha! Are you threatening me now?”
“Blackmail? I was merely asking a question. Depending on your answer, I thought it prudent to consider what countermeasures we might need to take going forward.”
“…Countermeasures? You mean countermeasures against Sa Do-cheon?”
As he asked with his expression growing increasingly rigid, I neither confirmed nor denied his suspicion.
Instead, I simply waved my fingers through the air with casual ease, maintaining my smile as I continued speaking.
“Since you oversee all matters concerning Sa Do-cheon, you must be well aware. The Nakhyang Jin Family may lack influence within Shanxi, but we are far from powerless beyond its borders.”
“….”
“If we apply pressure one piece at a time, do you think they can endure? Will supplies even be able to flow into Shanxi?”
While merchant houses and trading posts within Shanxi itself could still be utilized, it was fair to say that the Nakhyang Jin Family held a firm grip on most goods and funds flowing in from the outside.
I would sever that lifeline.
If that happened, they would naturally have to survive on resources already within Shanxi, but with nothing coming in, prices would skyrocket, and those unable to afford them would grow hungry and destitute.
Sa Do-cheon’s collapse would be swift.
Of course, merchants would emerge seeking to supply Sa Do-cheon and profit from it, but even they could be neutralized through the Nakhyang Jin Family’s influence—they wouldn’t last long.
The Administrator of Sa Do-cheon could not be ignorant of this.
He had grown arrogant.
No matter how prestigious, a merchant family was merely something that could be swept away if one had the will, and Sa Do-cheon was a heaven incomparable to such things—or so he believed.
It was what most martial artists thought.
However, there was something he had overlooked.
Why the Murim Alliance had never dared to touch the Nakhyang Jin Family until now.
And why, despite there being many other merchant houses, they had specifically sought to seize the Nakhyang Jin Family.
Among all merchant houses importing goods from the Western Regions or the East, none brought in quantities comparable to the Nakhyang Jin Family, and nowhere in any trade, regardless of location or commodity, possessed the trust, credibility, and influence the Nakhyang Jin Family commanded.
That was precisely why a single word could reduce them to beggars.
Having worn fine clothes and eaten quality food since childhood, he mistook enjoyment for inevitability.
Everything he wore, ate, and enjoyed was possible only because the merchant house functioned.
Zzzt—!
In that instant, as if grasping something crucial, Ryu Hyeok-sang’s aura flared.
A chilling sensation, as though his skin were being peeled away layer by layer.
His eyes, now cold and sunken, were so murderous that every hair on his body stood on end.
I too drew upon my energy without yielding, and quietly grasped the sword I had placed beside the table.
Was that the reason?
I saw Ryu Hyeok-sang’s eyes widen in apparent shock.
Clap, clap, clap—!
Then.
Applause from somewhere cut through the mounting tension in an instant.
Thud—thud—
Soon, heavy footsteps echoed in my ears.
The sound of someone approaching slowly.
Each step felt as though the world itself were bowing.
Without thinking, I swallowed dryly and fixed my gaze on one point.
Creeeeak—!
The door opened, and an elderly man stepped inside.
The master of the Sadocheon I had seen in the past.

The Dead Emperor, Cheon Gong-hak.

The absolute ruler of the Sadocheon appeared before my eyes.
A mysterious smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

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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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