The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 75

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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 75

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A black carriage, as if cloaked in dense darkness, rolled forward along the road.
Without the sound of wheels turning, one might not even realize the carriage was passing.
Even that sound was barely audible.
Whether it was the Coachman’s exceptional skill or the quality of the horses, unlike an ordinary carriage, it produced virtually no noise whatsoever.
But sound was not the issue.
Inside the pitch-black carriage.
With no windows, the carriage’s interior allowed not even moonlight to seep through. Completely sealed off from the outside world, all that met the eye was darkness.
Gu Gunbaek, unbothered by the darkness, remained silent, and I, having grown somewhat accustomed to it, paid it little mind.
But Chu Hyeongi was different.
Groping blindly through the darkness, he found me and grasped my collar tightly, growing increasingly restless.
In such absolute darkness, anyone would struggle to endure it for long.
Because of this, Chu Hyeongi kept speaking to ease his anxiety.
“Young Master, are we being sold off?”
“You’re my disciple and yet you’re terrified. Just sit still. We’ll arrive soon enough.”
“But… I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. Aren’t you anxious, Master?”
“Anxious about what? If things go wrong, I’ll just smash everything to pieces. You have strength too—why can’t you think the same way? Are you hoarding your power just to waste it?”
“Ah…”
“Ah? What does ‘ah’ even mean… how did I ever take on a disciple like this?”
Listening to the two of them chattering away, I let out a quiet chuckle.
There was only one reason the carriage had no windows.
To prevent passengers from knowing where they were going.
It was a device designed so that without the carriage itself, one could never reach the destination.
The Coachman’s job was to take passengers and circle around, winding through various routes while slowly heading toward the destination, ensuring they couldn’t discern the path.
“Whoever thought this up is an idiot. Did they really think I wouldn’t know?”
“Do you know where we’re headed?”
“Of course! What do you take me for? I possess a beast’s senses. We’ve circled the same spot three times, twisted and turned through various routes, and now we’re gradually heading north.”
The claim about possessing a beast’s senses was no exaggeration.
Though I too had been constantly honing my senses, I couldn’t perceive details to such a degree.
“That’s correct.”
The moment I nodded, the carriage’s direction changed.
It twisted and turned again, disorienting the senses, but then seemed to settle on a proper heading and began moving in a straight line.
“This time it’s westward? What’s in the west?”
“The Imperial Palace.”
“What? You mean where those eunuchs live?”
“The Emperor resides there. The eunuchs are merely attendants.”
“That’s all the same thing, you fool.”
Gu Gunbaek waved his hand dismissively, his brow furrowed as he regarded me. At the look in his eyes warning me not to nitpick, I shrugged lightly and leaned back against the carriage wall.
Even so, I maintained my senses at their sharpest, drawing them up to their fullest extent.
I knew where we were headed, after all, and this was decent training regardless.
We continued on for another half hour.
Then came the sound of a horse’s neigh, and the carriage we’d been riding in gradually came to a halt.
That was when the door opened.
Eager to finally step outside, Jang Chuchyeong descended first, with Gu Gunbaek and I following in his wake.
The moment my feet touched the ground, what greeted my eyes was an enormous manor.
The plaque hanging above the main gate seemed unusually prominent.

Dowon Village.

As I took a step forward while confirming the plaque written in majestic brushstrokes, the tightly closed main gate swung wide open, revealing the interior landscape.
A sight that truly captivated the eye.
The manor unfolded before us like a painting come to life.
Even Gu Gunbaek’s eyes widened in surprise.
“This way, please.”
At that moment, someone other than the coachman emerged from within. At his gesture inviting us to follow, I naturally fell into step behind him.
Soon we entered the manor.
The place we arrived at was a large chamber, and as the man manipulated something, a strange occurrence unfolded.
Rumble—
The floor that had been solid suddenly opened, revealing a staircase descending into the underground.
Night Pearls embedded in all directions illuminated the path brilliantly, so darkness was no longer a concern.
As I naturally descended the stairs, the man bowed respectfully and spoke.
“Please enjoy yourselves at your leisure.”
Hearing those words, I nodded in acknowledgment.
I descended the stairs without hesitation.
Jang Chuchyeong, seeing the Night Pearls for the first time, was looking around curiously in all directions.
“What exactly… is this place? It’s fascinating. The stones are glowing!”
“They’re called Night Pearls. They’re rare to find.”
“Rare, when there are so many of them here?”
As Jang Chuchyeong said, Night Pearls covered every surface.
If one were to sell them all, the wealth would be enough to live without financial worry not just for a lifetime, but for generations to come—such was the staggering quantity.
So it was understandable that someone seeing them for the first time wouldn’t realize their true value.
But the situation changed entirely when one tried to obtain them outside.
A single Night Pearl commanded a price in silver that would make one’s eyes water.
Naturally, acquiring such a vast quantity of Night Pearls was impossible without both power and wealth.
Even the great martial sects of the Three Hegemonies could not accomplish it.
There were only two places where it was possible at all.
One was the Imperial Palace, and the other was the Nakhyang Jin Family.
I gazed ahead while entertaining such thoughts.
The stairs came to an end, and finally the Exit revealed itself.
The moment I took a step toward that place.
Exclamations burst from the lips of Two People.
“…Wow— what is this?!”
“…I’ve lived long, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”
It was certainly Underground.
Yet the sight unfolding before my eyes could not be called Underground.
A space so vast it would be no exaggeration to say an entire Village had been transplanted here revealed itself.
Moreover, countless Night Pearls adorned the Ceiling, illuminating this place with brilliant radiance.
Magnificent and ornate Pavilions stood scattered throughout the surroundings, and those who appeared to be Residents wore pristine silk garments and jewelry while donning peculiar masks.
What was intriguing was that the Women or Men beside those wearing masks had bare faces without masks.
Gu Gunbaek, who had been surveying his surroundings with an astonished expression, let out a hollow laugh as if bewildered and turned to look at me.
“Young Master So. What on earth is this place?”
“This is Dowon Village.”
“…Dowon Village? Like Moolung Dowon or something?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
I nodded my head.
Dowon Village.
A place where those with power, authority, and wealth come to indulge their desires.
Those without masks are Residents, while those wearing masks are Honored Guests.
Most who become Residents are either those sold here for their exceptional beauty, or criminals or fugitives from the Martial Arts World who pay the Hao Gate to hide their identities.
Beyond that, there are death row inmates released by the Imperial Court for their pleasure.
This place, created long ago for certain reasons, was named Dowon Village by the Emperor and constructed in this manner, with the Hao Gate managing it.
The ability to embed so many Night Pearls was made possible only by the Imperial Court’s wealth, and my Grandfather lent his strength to the endeavor.
Therefore, this Dowon Village was a joint creation of the Imperial Palace and the Nakhyang Jin Family.
Of course, Father seems unaware of this matter, but conversely, Uncle appears to know it well.
Waaaaaaah—!
Then, a tremendous roar of cheers erupted from somewhere.
As I approached toward that thunderous sound, an Arena came into view, constructed at the center of this massive underground city.
The cheers seemed to be flowing from there.
“Ugh?! What is that?”
In the next moment, as I gazed upon it, Chu Hyeongi’s expression darkened.
A person lay sprawled out, grotesquely torn apart.
Blood poured forth, and flesh scattered in all directions.
The one who appeared to be responsible for creating such a scene waved his hand as if to claim credit, basking in the pouring cheers.
Toward such a person, the masked Honored Guests hurled money.
The more sensational the method of killing one’s opponent, the greater the amount of money that would pour down.
“What is this? They’re cheering even though someone was killed like that? Does this make sense?”
“In this place, money is power and the lifeline of survival. Do you know how much a single dumpling costs at that inn over there?”
“Surely just a couple of copper coins for a dumpling?”
“Twenty copper coins. A bowl of thin noodles would run you about fifty.”
“What?!”
An underground city that boasted prices that would drive one to madness.
Whether to hide one’s identity or for any other reason, countless were those who brought money from the surface world only to find themselves unable to survive even ten days against the murderous inflation of this place.
Money was required to eat, money was required to live. And there were only a few ways to earn money in this forsaken realm.
One could gamble with the money they brought, or risk their life in the Arena, or as a last resort, sell their body.
Whichever path one chose, the outcome was equally dire.
Gambling could never defeat the Hao Gate’s professionals, and fighting for one’s life in the Arena merely prolonged the inevitable—death at someone’s hands.
Selling one’s body was no different.
One never knew what horrors awaited, and since those without an official token could not legally remove Residents from this place, even Honored Guests would often take them out and destroy them in the process.
Perhaps becoming an Imperial Guard was the best option? But catching the eye of an Honored Guest was no simple feat.
Most brought their own guards from the surface world.
“A cursed place indeed.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
Money and power determined a person’s rank in this hierarchy.
The quarters where the Honored Guests dwelled were illuminated by Night Pearls on all sides, as if not even a hint of shadow was permitted, and the buildings were so magnificent and grand that words could scarcely capture their splendor.
But as one ventured deeper, the landscape transformed entirely.
The Central District maintained some semblance of light and decent structures, yet the Inner District where the masses dwelled was shrouded in absolute darkness, with nothing but tents erected where buildings should have stood.
For most, rough stone floors served as bedchambers, and the frigid air as blankets.
I recalled my past and offered a bitter smile.
It had been difficult.
“What is that?”
At that moment, Gu Gunbaek’s expression twisted into something askew as he gazed toward the front of the Arena.
Following his gaze, I spotted a gathering of people at the highest point of the Arena itself.
There, overlooking even the Honored Guests, stood the Masked Martial Artist in an arrogant posture, peering down at the spectacle below.
That gaze was nothing short of contemptuous.
The eyes of one who had placed the entire world beneath their feet.
Without question, the Emperor.
I confirmed this and shifted my gaze to the side.
Beside him stood the Masked Fox in a respectful posture, speaking of something, yet there was something oddly familiar about those eyes.
Grand Chamberlain Ga Inhoo.
And standing behind the Masked Fox was another figure.
“Wearing a mask that suits them perfectly.”
My attention caught on the one adorned in a serpent’s mask—cunning incarnate.
In an instant, my eyes narrowed.
Though the mask obscured their face, those eyes and that frame were far too familiar.
Unmistakably, Jin Baek-ryong.
Considering my uncle’s past actions and manner of speech, I could instantly discern what he desired.
Is the snake trying to ride upon the dragon’s back and become a flood dragon?
Merely entertaining such a thought—that acquiring the dragon’s power would allow him to achieve his desires—revealed just how feeble my uncle’s mind truly was.
Before I could help myself, a soft chuckle escaped my lips.
I then scanned the other areas, but the person I sought was nowhere to be found.
Had they not brought her?
As I entertained that thought and was about to avert my gaze, it happened.
A man wearing a rat mask forcibly dragged someone forward and compelled them to kneel before the Emperor’s Seat.
A woman in a white mask—utterly unremarkable.
The moment I beheld her, my lips curved upward.
“Found her.”
My treasure.

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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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