The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 66

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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 127

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Aside from my encounter with the Martial Alliance and Ho Yeon-jin, my journey toward Gansu was proceeding far more smoothly than anticipated.
Taking a different route from theirs proved to be the right choice—even after ten days had passed and I crossed from Henan into Shaanxi, we had yet to encounter them.
Though the detour added some distance, it felt far more manageable.
While there was a set deadline for arriving at Gongdongpa, since I had departed earlier than originally planned, I traveled at a leisurely pace, resting when I wished and eating whenever hunger struck.
If things continued without incident, I would arrive with ample time to spare.
Thanks to this unhurried pace, not only the porters handling the heaviest loads but even the vigilant guards appeared considerably at ease.
With no urgency driving us, the journey felt relaxed, and since I spared no expense on food and drink, it was only natural that everyone’s complexion remained healthy and vibrant.
“Young Master, is that place called Hwasan?”
At that moment, Namgung Yeon’s voice reached me.
Her gaze pointed toward a massive mountain visible in the distance. Though it appeared close enough to see, the actual journey there would require considerable time.
I smiled and shook my head.
“That’s Jongnam. Look further east instead. The mountain you see over there—that’s Hwasan.”
“That one…”
Namgung Yeon turned her head to follow my finger, gazing upon Hwasan. While still distant, it was certainly closer than Jongnam.
Because of this proximity, the plum blossom trees covering the mountainside were visible.
They bloomed in such vivid crimson that one could understand why the forms of Hwasan’s sword techniques were named after the plum blossom.
Merely looking upon them, the fragrance of plum blossoms seemed to drift thick through the air.
Chaeseoha, who had been following behind, urged her horse forward and positioned herself beside me before asking a question.
“I don’t know much about the martial world, but I heard Hwasan and Jongnam don’t get along?”
“There’s no pair in the martial world that gets along better than Hwasan and Jongnam.”
“Pardon?”
“What?”
It was a common misconception among those unfamiliar with the martial world. When two sects fiercely compete over the same territory, one naturally assumes their relationship is poor.
And indeed, frequent battles do occur between them.
I recalled that during my time in Shaanxi, more than sixty percent of the countless conflicts I had witnessed involved Hwasan and Jongnam.
But that alone could not determine their relationship as poor.
“Jongnam teaches its disciples never to fall behind Hwasan, and Hwasan raises its members believing defeat to Jongnam is shameful. But that’s purely to cultivate competitive spirit.”
“Competitive spirit?”
“Yes, do you think only Hwasan and Jongnam exist in Shaanxi?”
At my question, both Chaeseoha and Namgung Yeon tilted their heads in confusion.
When one thinks of Shaanxi, Jongnam and Hwasan naturally come to mind.
As for other sects, unless one lives here, their names would never reach one’s ears.
But there are far more than one might think.
Some with histories as long as Jongnam and Hwasan themselves.
“Between Jongnam and Hwasan lies the Yeosan Sect, which possesses an equally long history, and in Luochuan stands the Luochuan Xu Family, which has held its position for three hundred years.”
The Yeosan Sect was no exception, but Nakcheon was also a major faction comparable to Jongnam and Hwasan. One could tell simply from the fact that it had endured without crumbling for so long.
Beyond that, Shanxi was a place where numerous lesser sects thrived, making it the region where territorial disputes in the righteous martial world were most fiercely contested.
“Hwasan and Jongnam must have realized it. They couldn’t survive without competition. So they made each other their rivals, using that rivalry to push their own strength to greater heights.”
When Hwasan advances one step, Jongnam grinds its teeth and strives to advance two steps. Seeing such effort, Hwasan cannot remain idle either.
As this continues endlessly, whenever other sects grow, those two rise even higher.
That is what Hwasan and Jongnam are today.
“Ah, so they’re like that?”
“The masters of both sects are famous for quarreling loudly even within the Martial Alliance, but there’s a reason why no one stops them.”
As we continued our journey while exchanging such conversation.
Our procession had already entered Xian, the capital of Shanxi, and naturally moved toward where the Unryong Inn stood.
The moment we stopped upon arriving there.
A strange sound echoed from within.
“You damned bastard?!”
“Hahaha! Instead of wasting time cursing, go tend to the fields. Do we even have evening provisions to feed the priests?”
Someone’s angry cry and the mocking voice of another.
As the voices from inside the Unryong Inn struck my ears, I found myself frowning without thinking.
Could it be?
With that thought, the moment I dismounted.
Clang-clang-clang!
The familiar sound of clashing blades rang out ceaselessly.
Soon the firmly shut inn door burst open, and people who had been eating inside began pouring out in a rush.
The expressions of those who came outside were far from pleasant.
“Again?! Again! How many times is this?!”
“Please, can we just eat in peace?!”
Clang—clang-clang! Crash! Bang! Crunch!
All manner of sounds came from inside.
The sound of swords clashing, things breaking and scattering.
It seemed they were not merely swinging blades at each other, but causing tremendous damage throughout the entire inn.
“Aaah! What do I do! More money’s going to be lost again.”
At the voice that rang out then, I turned my head without thinking.
A single figure sat slumped, blankly staring into the inn where fierce sounds continued to ring out.
It seemed he had endured considerable hardship in this place, for he sat in a state of familiar despair, and the single strand of hair remaining on his head swayed with the wind.
Soon even that, as if reflecting his current state of mind, scattered and flew away with the breeze.
I watched it go and closed my eyes tightly.
The innkeeper who oversaw the Xian Unryong Inn.
A man named Kang Han.
Unaware that I had arrived, he sat in despair. I approached him with a bitter smile and patted his shoulder.
“How have you been?”
“W-who… Huh?!”
At my sudden voice, Kang Han turned to me with a puzzled expression, then immediately recognized me and gasped in astonishment.
My expression remained frozen in place, unmoving, and my complexion had turned as pale as a corpse, devoid of all color.
Anyone observing me would have thought I had died from the shock.
My courage had shriveled to the size of a bean.
Yet my loyalty to the Nakhyang Jin Family remained genuine.
In the past, shortly after the Jin Family’s collapse, while I was fleeing from those pursuing us, I happened to meet Kang Han, who operated a small inn. He sheltered both myself and Jang Chuchyeong—penniless as we were—for nearly a month.
He fed us, gave us shelter, clothed us.
He provided everything.
Thanks to him, I retained memories of those days when I was full and warm.
Until the Shadow Assassins came.
I forced myself to erase the image of Kang Han collapsing beneath their blades, managing only a faint smile.
“What is the matter?”
“Young Master So… it is… heh-hehehehe- Oh Hyeon of Jongnam and Baek Cheon of Hwasan…”
Unable to articulate what was transpiring, Kang Han appeared as though his very soul had departed, his expression one of utter despair.
He seemed not to know how to even report this situation.
Yet I could discern the circumstances quickly enough.
Crash-!
Suddenly, the inn’s wall shattered, and two figures burst forth. They clashed their blades repeatedly in mid-air before descending to the ground, exchanging strikes.
Clang-!
A sharp, piercing ring echoed painfully through the air.
Simultaneously, their inner power was considerable—the wind that erupted from each collision was remarkably fierce.
And with it.
-Wow-!
-Well done! Beat anyone you can!
Cheers erupted from various corners of the inn.
Apart from those whose meals had been disrupted, everyone seemed captivated by the fierce battle unfolding before their eyes.
Like spectators in the arena of Doyuanhyang.
I observed it briefly, then pursed my lips.
“I suppose I must stop them.”
The cheers were unexpected, but I judged that preventing further damage took priority—I needed to separate these two before more harm occurred.
I glanced subtly at Namgung Yeon.
I saw her tilt her head with a puzzled expression.
When I gestured with my chin toward the two locked in combat, Namgung Yeon pointed at her own face with her finger, as if asking whether she was truly the one to do this.
The moment I nodded, both Namgung Yeon and Namgung Baek beside her turned visibly pale.
Was it easy to wedge oneself between disciples of Hwasan and Jongnam to stop them?
It was clear they understood this well.
“What are you doing? Stop them. If this continues, damage will spread elsewhere.”
Namgung Baek hastily approached and shook his head in refusal, yet I kept my gaze fixed on Namgung Yeon, and instead smiled slightly as I asked.
“Shall I do it?”
“No!”
Only then did Namgung Yeon reconfirm her position.
That’s right—this is no request between friends.
Since the master-servant relationship is firmly established, I must not question the master’s commands, nor should I even consider doing so.
Given the orders I’ve received and my own well-being, I should understand that now is not the time for her to simply stand by and watch.
Whoosh!
Namgung Yeon propelled himself forward, his footwork carrying him through the air.
Let’s see just how much I can accomplish.

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Baek Cheon, the first disciple of Hwasan, gritted his teeth as he parried the relentless assault from Oh Hyeon, a disciple of Jongnam.
The gap in their abilities was not so great that despite having already exchanged more than fifty blows, neither could gain the upper hand.
They both felt it.
This was different from last time.
And different from the time before that.
Though they met only once every few months, each encounter made them acutely aware that both had grown stronger.
That is why both of them clenched their teeth.
This time, they would settle it once and for all.
Just as they were about to swing their blades with that resolve—
Whoooosh!
A gust of wind swept across the field.
With the sudden wind came something sharp that caught both their senses.
They turned their eyes to confirm what it was.
‘A woman?!’
An unfamiliar woman.
Yet the sharpness imbued in her drawn blade was formidable.
Her sword cut through the space between their blades, intercepting them both, then with a surge of power she swiftly drove them apart left and right.
Clang!
The metallic ring echoed as Baek Cheon and Oh Hyeon retreated, their brows furrowing.
Not only was the momentum behind her blade impressive, but the entire process of piercing through the gap between their clashing swords and driving them back in one fluid motion revealed that she had reached a considerable level of mastery.
Baek Cheon, Oh Hyeon, and Namgung Yeon.
The three exchanged glances silently, one after another.
As if they were on guard.
It was Oh Hyeon of Jongnam who let out a low chuckle.
“Do you wish to test yourself as well, my lady?”
“No, please stop—”
“If you have the skill to intervene between us, then I shall acknowledge your strength!”
Whoosh!
Though she had stepped into the fray to stop the fight, it seemed her intervention only provoked the two men further.
Oh Hyeon’s blade swung toward Namgung Yeon.
Baek Cheon blocked it.
Clang!
As Namgung Yeon stepped back, Baek Cheon’s blade transformed in the same instant, grazing toward her neck.
Swoosh!
The moment the swung blade barely brushed past the tip of her nose, Oh Hyeon’s sword thrust forward with weighty momentum, driving toward Baek Cheon’s chest.
Boom!
Watching Baek Cheon fly backward with a resonant impact, the instant Oh Hyeon turned his head sharply, Namgung Yeon’s blade moved as if it had been waiting for this very moment.
Clang-clang-clang!
The Namgung family’s swordsmanship was exquisite and meticulous.
There were no openings to exploit, and it was both swift and heavy.
Once the momentum was established, breaking the rhythm of such swordsmanship was extraordinarily difficult, forcing Oh Hyeon to retreat step by hesitant step with a look of surprise.
“Stop this…!”
“Don’t just play amongst yourselves!”
The moment Namgung Yeon tried to speak again to stop the fight, Baek Cheon, who had been sent flying, launched himself back into the air and moved his blade.
In that instant, Namgung Yeon caught the scent of plum blossoms.
A blade moving slowly through the air began to trace a single plum blossom.
This was none other than the Plum Blossom Sword of Hwasan.
And the realm of sword fragrance that only appeared in the Plum Blossom Sword.
Creating flowers with a blade was absurd enough, but the fact that fragrance emanated as if the blade actually carried the flower was even more astounding.
The very process of a single flower being drawn dizzied the eyes and clouded the mind.
Then.
“What nonsense is this bastard spouting!”
Along with Oh Hyeon’s voice, his blade swung with overwhelming force. It felt as though it possessed the power to cut down a blooming plum blossom itself.
This was the sword of Jongnam.
The momentum felt incomparably stronger than anything before.
A quick glance—
Namgung Yeon’s eyes darted urgently toward Jin Cheon-u.
She harbored a faint hope that he might offer assistance, but he merely stood with arms crossed, a smile playing at his lips as he watched.
In the end, she had to navigate this predicament alone.
Namgung Yeon clenched her teeth.
One wielded the Transforming Sword, the other the Heavy Sword.
Then she would demonstrate the mysteries of the Overlord Sword.
She drew upon her inner energy and gripped her blade firmly.
Whoooosh!
“…!”
“What?!”
The one called the Greatest Sword Family Under Heaven—
The Boundless Azure Heaven Sword Method of the Namgung family was revealing itself to the world once more.

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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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