The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 60

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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 121

“Geomcheon, Mu Heo?”
“Yes, they say he disappeared?”
Baek Jin-hwa regarded me with a peculiar expression, her question hanging in the air.
Mu Heo was a figure whose whereabouts had been shrouded in mystery for over a decade—a name that lingered, nothing more.
She seemed unable to comprehend why I would seek information about such a person.
“An intriguing request indeed. Are you now looking to find Geomcheon as well?”
“If he’s alive, I’d like to see him once.”
The Divine—the being revered and upheld by the Sect.
Learning that he had an older brother naturally sparked my curiosity.
If he were alive, I genuinely wanted to meet him and hear his story.
“Given that you’re willing to put forth such a substantial sum, it seems quite urgent. However, we don’t have much information regarding Mu Heo, so it may take some time.”
“That’s fine. As long as the information is accurate.”
“Understood. And regarding the Priest you mentioned earlier—are you saying Geomcheon has a Priest?”
“From what I know, yes. But it’s not certain, so if you have no information, there’s no need to dig into it.”
“…You need information about the Priest, yet if there’s nothing, you don’t need to dig into it?”
“That’s right.”
“Ah—.”
At my response, Baek Jin-hwa let out a small exclamation and nodded. From her expression alone, I could see she had grasped that such information itself could endanger both the Haomun and the Nakhyang Jin Family.
“I understand. We’ll make sure not to ‘unnecessarily’ touch the Priest matter. Is that everything then?”
“Nothing else. And if you need any assistance on your end, feel free to mention it. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll help.”
“Is this an apology for Doyuanhyang? Or is it because of information we shouldn’t dig into?”
“Both.”
“Hehe— I understand. Should you ever need the Young Master’s assistance, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
I nodded at her words spoken with a smile and rose from my seat.
With this, the Haomun would bring me information about Mu Heo. It might take some time, but it was a necessary choice to obtain the most reliable and certain information.
Thus, I left the Hwaseon Guesthouse and returned home.
Still receiving warm welcomes from many people, greeting them with smiles as I walked proved more bothersome and exhausting than I’d anticipated.
Yet I couldn’t simply ignore it, as this situation could further elevate the Jin Family’s standing.
Normally, a journey of this length would take only a quarter hour to reach home, but today it seemed to have taken slightly over half a shichen.
The moment I crossed the Jin Family’s gates, I exhaled deeply and let my shoulders sag.
I was exhausted and weary.
Even more so than embarking on a journey.
Yet returning home did not make the gazes disappear.
Every person working within the Sega whispered and their eyes sparkled as they watched me pass. The only consolation was that they refrained from speaking to me.
I forced a bitter smile and hastily entered my quarters.
“Puhaha— So, you’ve finally revealed it.”
At that moment, a voice suddenly reached my ears, and I turned my head.
By the pond in front of the residence, I could see Gu Gunbaek feeding the carp.
It was a sight that seemed oddly out of place.
“You shouldn’t eat that.”
“I’m not eating it, you fool. Do I look like someone who’d devour carp?”
Gu Gunbaek clicked his tongue and tossed all the remaining feed into the pond before approaching me.
He suddenly thrust his head forward, staring intently at me, then broke into a grin, baring his teeth.
“How does it feel to be famous?”
“Not particularly pleasant.”
“Hehehehe! With your skills, this was bound to happen eventually. It just came a bit sooner than expected.”
My abilities had already been revealed to the Sword Emperor, the Death Emperor, and several others, so there was no point in continuing to conceal them.
If someone possessed exceptional skills yet kept hiding them, people would naturally find it suspicious.
By demonstrating my abilities once in a while, I could deflect suspicion simply by asserting my presence through my revealed strength.
Moreover, as a member of the Sega, I could cultivate the perception that I was “strong but restrained in using my power.”
Conversely, I could also create a distinction between myself and Demon Face.
When I had hidden my abilities, no one could discern what martial techniques I employed. But by fully revealing one side of my skills, people would realize that the martial arts used by Demon Face and Jin Cheon-u were fundamentally different.
That’s why I employed entirely different swordsmanship in my match with Cheon Yul.
The foundation remained the Water-Moon Sword Attack, but while I had used the Water aspect against those others, I had used the Moon aspect against Cheon Yul.
Since it was a crude secret technique from the Nakhyang Jin Family that I had completely reconstructed, it would be impossible for anyone to find or obtain information about it elsewhere.
Therefore, no one would suspect that I and Demon Face were the same person.
To solidify this distinction, I eventually had to reveal my true abilities, and Cheon Gong-hak had conveniently provided the perfect opportunity.
Thanks to the Hyang-un Sega’s ridiculous antics, this journey had yielded far more than I could have anticipated.
When I let out a small chuckle, Gu Gunbaek patted my back.
“Ahahaha! So you crushed Soocheonchu—did you get a good look at his techniques?”
“Of course. They’re even more threatening and sharp than the Peng Family’s methods.”
“That’s not all. That old man’s martial arts involve illusion techniques when you fight him. What you’re seeing isn’t necessarily what’s actually there. You didn’t catch that?”
“No, I attempted to steal a glimpse, but I was caught red-handed.”
“Huh? Ahahahahaha! You crazy bastard! You tried to steal from that old man? It’s a miracle you’re still alive, you son of a bitch.”
At Gu Gunbaek’s words, I gently rubbed the back of my neck. Though it had been quite some time ago, I still couldn’t shake the sensation of Cheon Gong-hak’s dagger pressing against my throat.
“What? What did that old man do to you?”
“Well, I received a warning of sorts. He held a dagger to my throat.”
“Huh? That’s strange. That old man doesn’t use daggers.”
“No, it was definitely… a dagger.”
The memory is still vivid.
What pressed against my throat was unmistakably a dagger.
I even felt the sensation of blood trickling, so there’s no way I could have been mistaken.
Yet Gu Gunbaek’s expression suggested he found that strange.
After thinking for a long moment, he burst into loud laughter again.
“Puhahahaha—! Ah yes, that’s it! That’s the old man’s illusion technique. I told you, didn’t I? What you’re seeing isn’t necessarily what it appears to be.”
“…”
“But that’s odd? The old man used his technique, so why is your neck still attached?”
“Isn’t it acceptable to be alive?”
“Right. That old man doesn’t make threats. When he makes a move, it means he’s going to kill you.”
Gu Gunbaek regarded me quietly.
Then he reached out and began touching me here and there.
Startled, I stepped back and furrowed my brow.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, given what that old man does, I can’t tell if what I’m looking at is really you or if someone else has taken your form.”
“It’s really me.”
“So why are you still alive?”
Unable to comprehend it, Gu Gunbaek approached again and began examining my body.
Still unconvinced, he scrutinized my face feature by feature, even suspecting it might be a demon mask and pinching at my skin to verify.
I winced at the pain and retreated further.
“That hurts.”
“Strange. It’s definitely you, Young Master So, but how on earth did you survive?”
“I suppose I was fortunate. I’ll head inside now.”
“Yes, yes, go ahead.”
Even at my words, unable to accept them, Gu Gunbaek continued watching me with a peculiar expression.
But only for a moment.
Having lost interest in an instant, he hummed to himself and approached the pond again.
By the look of it, he seemed to have taken a liking to feeding the carp.
I shook my head and hurried into my quarters.
Leaving behind the comfort I felt for the first time in ages, I sat upon the bed.
“What I saw was an illusion?”
If Gu Gunbaek’s words were true, the short blade I witnessed was nothing but an illusion. Yet everything I felt and saw was so vivid and real.
All of it was an illusion?
Then was it only the blade that was illusory?
I closed my eyes tightly and recalled the events of that moment.
Cheon Gong-hak’s movements as he regarded me.
The instant I looked up, he was before my eyes and the blade hung at my throat.
Blood flowed and I felt pain.
And then I thought again.
The moment the sensation of the blade at my nape vanished.
It wasn’t that the blade fell away from my neck, but rather it felt as though it had simply dispersed, and at that same moment, Cheon Gong-hak remained in the exact same position, in the exact same posture.
Yes, it was an illusion.
From beginning to end.
Though I cannot fathom what technique was used, it deceived not only my eyes but all of my senses.
Had the blade truly pierced my throat, despite being a phantom, I would have died believing in the pain, my breath ceasing.
That is the martial art of the Death Emperor, Cheon Gong-hak.
“Indeed, he deserves the title of being closest to the Divine.”
Among those called the Ten Emperors, three stand at the pinnacle.
These individuals were beings that threatened the position of the Three Heavens, and now that I observed them, that assessment seemed far from incorrect.
They possessed something that transcended mere strength.
Without displaying their aura as a threat, using only illusion techniques whose mechanics I couldn’t discern, they could deceive all of a person’s senses and kill them—wasn’t that absurdly overpowered?
That’s why I desired it.
To climb to an even higher place.
Because I needed to gain greater advantage in battles against them.
I immediately recalled the movements of two individuals.
The first was Cheon Yul, who became Soocheonchu after succeeding Cheon Gong-hak. Though I hadn’t witnessed much, I had etched their movements into my mind with sufficient clarity to interpret them.
The second was Namgung Yeon.
Not as formidable as Cheon Yul, but the swordsmanship of the Namgung Family, once called the greatest sword clan under heaven. Passed down through generations across countless ages, I couldn’t know the profound essence contained within, but I could absorb the precision and techniques of the blade.
I analyzed the martial arts of both individuals, dissecting and extracting them piece by piece.
Countless fragments swirled chaotically through my mind.
The sheer volume of information, so overwhelming that organizing it alone was arduous, brought a pain as if my head might burst at any moment.
Yet still.
Losing track of how much time had passed, I delved deeper, focusing solely on interpreting the martial arts of these two.
Then, at some point.
I was able to extract every necessary component.
But the real work began now.
I recalled the Suwol Sword Art once more and deconstructed everything. Then, one by one, I merged the martial arts I had extracted from both individuals into the Suwol Sword Art, discarding the unnecessary and grafting on the essential.
This was the most difficult task.
There was no challenge more arduous than naturally merging martial arts that were nearly contradictory to each other, allowing them to dissolve into one.
My mind became tangled in complexity once again.
A sharp headache surged with such intensity that pain flooded through me.
Gritting my teeth and enduring it, I relentlessly pushed forward with the remaining work.
Then, as the final piece dissolved and everything came into order.
Flash—!
I opened my eyes.
“Oh my goodness!”
In that instant, the first thing that caught my eye was none other than Chaeseoha. Startled by my sudden awakening, she stumbled backward, landing on her rear.
Her expression of shock was unmistakable.
I slowly gathered my energy and shifted my gaze toward the window. I distinctly remembered it being dusk when I began, yet now brilliant sunlight streamed through, indicating midday.
My gaze naturally turned toward Chaeseoha.
“How long have I been like this?”
“…It’s been exactly ten days. Are you alright? The elder said to just leave you be….”
“Ten days?”
Chaeseoha nodded at my question.
She then quietly approached and checked my pulse, then reached out again to touch my forehead.
Apparently finding nothing amiss, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong.”
“No, there is.”
“You’re… saying it exists?”
In that instant, Chaeseoha’s eyes widened in surprise as she reached out to check my pulse again.
Yet nothing seemed to manifest, and instead she tilted her head with a peculiar expression, studying me intently.
Unable to help myself, laughter escaped at the sight of her bewildered face.
“Hearing the word ‘ten days’ has made me realize how hungry I am. I think I need to eat something first.”
“What on earth.”
Hearing her disappointed remark, I rose from my seat.
First, I needed to satisfy my ravenous appetite.
After that, I planned to examine the completed result.

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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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