The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 74

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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 135

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Eon Garyeo’s defeat was nothing short of shocking.
Even within the Changrong Sect, where only the finest late-stage masters were gathered, she was among the top five strongest warriors.
Thus, the profound silence that had settled over the martial arts tournament was entirely justified.
Thanks to this, the name of Namgung—which had faded into the depths of memory—was spoken aloud once more.
Even those watching could only gaze in stunned bewilderment as she descended from the stage.
Thump, thump—
Such emotion was not felt by the spectators alone.
As she left the arena, where only silence reigned rather than cheers, this very silence seemed to embolden her.
She glanced to the side, surveying the quiet hall.
Jin Cheon-u with his pleased expression caught her eye first, and as she scanned the spectators as if searching for someone, she found her brother Namgung Baek.
He watched without a word, yet his eyes glistened with tears.
Seeing him on the verge of breaking down, she allowed herself a gentle smile.
“Such fuss…”
As she steadied her breath and composed herself, entering the space where the participants gathered, someone suddenly approached and spoke to her.
“That was impressive. I never expected to lose.”
It was none other than Eon Garyeo who had spoken.
She was already seated, receiving treatment for her injuries, and she smiled brightly at Namgung Yeon as she spoke.
Not a hint of emotion showed in her response to her own defeat.
“That final move… could it have been…?”
“It’s called the Thirteen Sword Thunder Strikes.”
“Ah, truly worthy of its reputation. I couldn’t even conceive of dodging it.”
“Your Eon Family’s Coordinated Grappling Technique was formidable as well. Had fortune favored differently, I would have lost.”
At those words, Eon Garyeo waved her hand dismissively and laughed in disbelief. She, too, possessed the discerning eye of a true martial artist.
She already knew that had Namgung Yeon not been cautious, this duel would have ended in her defeat before even twenty exchanges.
Simultaneously, Eon Garyeo came to understand one thing.
“Now I see why Young Master Jin brought Lady Namgung and Young Master Baek along. Is it because they’re from the Nakhyang Jin Family? Your eye for talent is truly exceptional.”
“You flatter me.”
“Hehe, don’t answer so stiffly. You can relax. And do your best!”
“Pardon?”
“Win the championship. You want to make the Namgung Family’s name known, don’t you? Lady Namgung can do it.”
At Eon Garyeo’s words, Namgung Yeon lowered her head shyly. It felt remarkably good to have her worth recognized by someone other than Jin Cheon-u.
As she entertained such thoughts, she felt a gaze upon her.
Namgung Yeon turned her head toward the sharp, piercing stare.
What met her eyes was none other than Moyong Hyeok.
Though his face bore no expression and he merely watched intently, the blazing intensity in his eyes was unmistakably a provocation directed at her.
Only then could Namgung Yeon recall Jin Cheon-u’s words.

“Simply dragging the Namgung clan’s name out of obscurity isn’t enough. I need to etch it firmly into people’s minds. That’s the priority. To accomplish that….”

I had to defeat Moyong Hyeok.
The Young Master of the Heaven’s Greatest Sword House and the Sword Emperor’s son.
The most brilliant talent in the orthodox martial world.
How else could I imprint the Namgung clan’s name upon people’s hearts without crushing someone of that caliber?
She steeled her resolve and regulated her breathing.

* * *

The tournament progressed rapidly.
Some claimed victory while others tasted defeat.
As time passed, the competition grew increasingly fierce, drawing ever greater fervor from the crowd.
The cheers had grown incomparably louder, and with each passing match, the exchanges of offense and defense became more violent and sharp.
Though a relatively modest martial arts tournament, for the Gongdong Sect it was a battle of pride, and the Changyong Unit, believing themselves without equal, now felt the creeping dread brought by Namgung Yeon’s sudden emergence.
And her victories continued, as if confirming their fears.
Crash!
One of the Changyong Unit’s later-stage disciples tumbled ignominiously out of the arena.
One of the Gongdong Sect’s disciples was overwhelmed in a swift assault and collapsed in bewilderment, while another dropped his blade at the match’s start and fell to defeat.
Namgung Yeon was a whirlwind.
Captivated by her unbroken victories and overwhelming swordsmanship, whenever she stepped onto the arena, the crowd erupted in thunderous acclaim.
The battles were fierce, the results spectacular.
Having risen to prominence by defeating Eon Garyeo, Namgung Yeon brimmed with confidence, continuing her winning streak and elevating the Namgung clan’s name.
Yet it wasn’t enough.
I couldn’t settle for this.
-Uwaaa!
With the crowd’s overwhelming roar, two figures ascended the martial platform.
Facing the man standing motionless before her, Namgung Yeon closed her eyes and centered herself.
Moyong Hyeok, revealing no emotion whatsoever, simply gazed upon Namgung Yeon.
“At last, the final match.”
I nodded at Hoyeon’s words coming from beside me.
Those who had fought desperately and displayed their full prowess now stood before their final contest.
Would Moyong Hyeok, who could be called the Sword Emperor’s successor, once again make his name resound, or would the Namgung blade, seeking to reclaim past glory, demonstrate its supremacy?
Moreover, what excited the spectators even more was that this was a match between the past Heaven’s Greatest Sword House and the present one, between those who had once been first and second.
I glanced sideways at Hoyeon beside me.
He seemed utterly unprepared for Namgung Yeon to have come this far, his expression betraying clear astonishment.
Meeting my gaze, he smiled.
“Care to wager?”
“How many times must I repeat myself? I won’t do it.”
“A single Jasodан pill and the Unryong Inn—we would be at a loss, sir.”
“….”
Ho Yeon-jin’s brow twitched as he frowned deeply.
Yet he surely understood as well.
While I acknowledged the considerable value of the Jasodан, a spiritual elixir that vanishes once consumed versus an inn that could generate wealth for a lifetime—the comparison was clear.
In terms of worth, the Unryong Inn held overwhelming superiority.
He could not be ignorant of this, and his reluctance to concede stemmed from recognizing that Namgung Yeon’s true capabilities, when properly displayed, were formidable beyond measure.
Even Moyong Hyeok, the Murim Alliance’s greatest late-stage master, could not easily yield.
Wagers, after all, are typically made only when one possesses confidence in victory.
Because Namgung Yeon repeated the same declaration each time he stepped forward, displeasure was evident across Hoyeon’s features.
I let out a soft chuckle and turned my gaze away.
Standing upon the martial stage, Namgung Yeon steadied his mind and regulated his breathing.
Then, he slowly drew his blade.
“The sword of Moyong, renowned as supreme under heaven… I shall learn from it.”
Moyong Hyeok did not respond.
Ha—
He merely gazed at Namgung Yeon with a fixed stare before letting out a hollow laugh, and soon spoke with an expression of utter bewilderment.
“Namgung Baek, so that’s why he kept hiding you with one excuse after another.”
“….”
“Have you been training in secret all this time without anyone knowing? Quite the talent you’ve developed.”
Though his words were clearly sarcastic, Namgung Yeon remained unshaken. He steadied his breathing as if releasing tension, keeping his blade pointed firmly toward Moyong Hyeok without breaking his gaze.
As if he would not permit even a moment of carelessness.
In that instant, Moyong Hyeok moved.
He closed the distance in a single stride and unleashed his blade.
Clang—!
Namgung Yeon deflected it lightly, shifting his body sideways to seize an opening.
Clang-clang—!
With two flashes of steel, both fighters retreated. Yet neither seemed content to remain distant, immediately launching forward to close the gap once more.
Clang-clang-clang—!
The violent clash of blades echoed with unrelenting fury.
Every movement—each thrust, evasion, and parry—surpassed any duel witnessed thus far.
Fierce.
Their attacks toward one another were terrifyingly sharp and precise.
Yet a subtle disparity in inner strength was gradually becoming apparent.
Namgung Yeon, who possessed only the inner power accumulated through cultivation techniques, differed markedly from Moyong Hyeok, who had built his foundation by consuming countless elixirs.
The momentum crystallized in their blades could not help but diverge.
Whoosh—! Whoosh-whoosh—!
Unable to overcome the contest of inner strength, Namgung Yeon began to give ground. Seizing that moment, Moyong Hyeok’s extended blade relentlessly probed for openings.
His swordwork had undeniably refined since the Heukwoo Society incident, smooth and decisive enough to rival even Moyong Hyeok of that time.
The Sword Emperor’s direct training bore fruit.
Combined with the experience I had accumulated thus far.
What had begun as an evenly matched battle was gradually tilting to one side.
After half a quarter of an hour of being pushed back.
However, Namgung Yeon had yet to reveal his trump card.
The endless, unbroken sword strikes from Moyong Hyeok suddenly ceased.
“…!”
And in that moment.
Namgung Yeon’s momentum shifted.
Moyong Hyeok, who had been pressing the attack, sensed the threat and hastily retreated.
But Namgung Yeon, moving faster with a half-step forward, unleashed his sword with terrifying precision and sharpness.
The distance was perfect.
As if this spacing itself were the ultimate weapon, he seized control of Moyong Hyeok’s compressed space and began to overwhelm him.
Clang—Clang-clang—Clang-clang-clang!
“That… that is?!”
“The Boundless Azure Heaven Sword Technique!”
“Is this real?! It’s exactly as the stories described!”
There were no ordinary people present in this place.
No matter how lost a martial art had become, the moment it revealed itself as the Boundless Azure Heaven technique, there was no way not to recognize it.
It was nothing short of legend.
If the Flash Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder and the Azure Heaven Sword Technique were the foundation of the Namgung clan, then the Boundless Azure Heaven Sword Technique was the very symbol of their martial legacy.
Though it remained an incomplete sword art, Namgung Yeon, who had strived to understand the essence of the Namgung clan’s martial knowledge more deeply than anyone, infused each strike with unordinary sharpness.
“Ugh?!”
Moyong Hyeok was flustered by the sudden shift in offense.
Namgung Yeon’s assault had grown even more piercing, and he must have felt as though his own space was being invaded and seized.
One could tell just by watching the expression change on that previously impassive face.
Bewilderment and a shift in his gaze were evident.
He was desperately searching for any opening to break through, yet it seemed he instinctively understood that this was no easy task.
Watching this, I laughed.
If this continued, Namgung Yeon would surely emerge victorious.
In that instant, Moyong Hyeok altered his stance and changed his momentum.
His extended sword carried a different quality than the Moyong clan’s martial arts I had witnessed thus far.
An uncanny sense of both strangeness and familiarity.
The energy contained in his unfolding sword felt similar yet different from what I knew.
I found myself laughing involuntarily.
Kaang—!
Accompanied by a sharp, ear-piercing sound, Namgung Yeon’s sword was severed, and simultaneously, Moyong Hyeok’s extended foot swept toward her abdomen.
Kwada-da-dang—!
“Cough!”
Sent flying by the tremendous force, Namgung Yeon crashed against the wall outside the martial arena, her body sliding down like a limp doll before collapsing face-first onto the ground.
“Victory to Young Master Moyong!”
At the judge’s declaration that followed, the crowd swallowed hard.
No one cheered, for they had all witnessed Moyong Hyeok’s brutal display—kicking relentlessly at an opponent whose sword was already shattered, rendering him unable to fight.
Those who prided themselves on walking the righteous path wore expressions of unmistakable dismay at such an unacceptable spectacle.
When I glanced at Hoyeon, even he seemed caught off guard by this turn of events, his brow furrowed as he clicked his tongue in disapproval.
Then.
The gaze of the final victor, Moyong Hyeok, turned toward me.
His eyes, fixed upon me, burned with an intensity sharper than ever before.
I simply smiled and accepted his stare with composure, yet even that seemed to displease him, for his voice suddenly thundered across the arena.
“I challenge Young Master Jin Cheon-u to a duel!”
Clang—!
His voice carried beyond the spectator stands, and in an instant, every eye in the venue fixed upon me.
I had drawn unwanted attention.
I gazed steadily at the blazing fire in Moyong Hyeok’s eyes and thought to myself.
This madman.
He still hasn’t grasped the situation.

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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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