The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 8

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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 8

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The evening descended in thick darkness.
With clouds drawn once more across the sky, even the moonlight could not penetrate, and an absolute blackness seemed to swallow all things whole.
Yet there was one place where this was not so.
The Nakhyang Jin Family.
Countless people had gathered in the courtyard of the Jin Family.
The lanterns and torches held in their hands illuminated the vast courtyard of the Jin Family as brightly as midday.
Every soul belonging to the Jin Family had assembled in that place.
Even those who had fled outside in fear after the battle had been summoned back and now held their breath in silence.
The atmosphere hung cold and heavy, as though balanced upon the edge of a razor’s blade.
Among the easily hundred-plus gathered, a line of bound figures stretched out, their mouths gagged with cloth, unable to move.
None could escape.
Not from this place.
The people etched the sight into their minds, swallowing dryly.
They trembled at the overwhelming presence emanating from the Jin Family’s warriors, seized by the anxiety that perhaps those blades might soon turn toward them.
Then, at last, the one they had awaited appeared.
Jin Cheon-u.
The youngest young master of the Nakhyang Jin Family and its Young Master.
Though none could say where he had been until now, the sword marks and blood visible upon his garments made it clear he had stood at the very heart of this conflict.
Thud— thud—
Jin Cheon-u parted the throng before him and stepped forward, his gaze sweeping briefly across the captives before withdrawing.
He then positioned himself before those who watched.
Cough.
In that instant, a light cough seized the attention of all present.
Had he been waiting for this?
Jin Cheon-u offered a small smile.

* * *

There were quite a few people visible before me—servants, maids, and those who handled various administrative duties.
And surrounding them stood the warriors of the Nakhyang Jin Family, their presence commanding and unmistakable.
It was a precaution against any unforeseen disturbances.
Excluding the warriors, their numbers easily exceeded a hundred, and with the martial artists included, the total seemed to reach nearly two hundred—an staggering assembly.
I made eye contact with everyone slowly and offered them a smile.
“I’m certain you were all quite startled. But please, do not worry. The situation has been resolved cleanly, and no one will threaten us any longer.”
“…Then, does this truly mean someone attempted to assassinate the Young Master?”
Someone’s question created a ripple through the silence.
As that single remark spread like ripples on water, murmurs erupted from all corners. The revelation that there existed a faction within the Nakhyang Jin Family itself seeking my death was certainly enough to shake them.
Shh—
But rather than answer, I simply brought my index finger to my lips with a light gesture.
The chaotic interior fell silent in an instant.
“Since you’ve all been startled and troubled through no fault of your own today, I shall offer you a special token of consolation.”
With a snap of my fingers, several warriors who had been waiting nearby brought forth a large chest. When its lid was opened, an enormous quantity of silver coins gleamed within.
Gasps of wonder echoed throughout, and I could see the astonishment in their eyes.
“However, I will not be giving it to everyone.”
“Pardon?”
At my unexpected words, disappointment flickered across the faces of those gathered. They had just witnessed an extraordinary amount of silver coins with their own eyes, only to be told it would not be distributed to all.
Anyone would feel let down.
I let out a soft chuckle and refocused everyone’s attention. Soon, I gazed toward one among the gathered crowd—someone I had noted for their keen perceptiveness.
As our eyes met, that person appeared visibly startled.
“What happened here today?”
He hesitated briefly at my question before seeming to recall something, and he opened his mouth to speak.
“Pardon? Ah, well… I had just woken and was going back to sleep… I’m not entirely sure what occurred, Young Master.”
At his response, I nodded readily.
I then gave a subtle signal to one of the warriors, who placed a silver coin in his hand and presented it to the man.
The man who received the money bowed deeply.
As the warrior who had given the coin watched, he whispered something softly.
In that moment, I saw the man’s body stiffen.
Should word of this leak outside, I will not overlook it.
That was the warning being delivered.
Witnessing the carrot and stick play out before them, the people seemed to finally grasp what I desired.
Keep your mouths shut.
Forget what happened today.
Nothing must leak beyond these walls.
That was the purpose of the silver.
I did not personally step forward to make threatening statements to the people.
The mere presence of the warriors and the ominous atmosphere were sufficient for them to quickly understand how they ought to conduct themselves.
As I watched each person receive their coins one by one, I turned my back.
The Grand Steward Yu Hyeon immediately caught my eye.
“Please handle the cleanup.”
“Understood, Young Master. Leave it to me. However… shouldn’t the Family Head be informed?”
“He’ll be quite occupied with other matters. *cough* For now, let it be. I’d rather not burden him with unnecessary concerns.”
“Yes, understood. What should we do with those we’ve captured?”
“Imprison them and extract as much information as possible. Even if they perish, it matters little to me.”
“Yes!”
I spoke these words as I moved forward.
I felt Chu Hyeongi hastily following in my wake.
He glanced nervously about, clearly tense and prepared for any unforeseen complications that might arise.
“Ease your mind. Things will settle soon enough.”
“How can I? Such a grave incident has occurred. Moreover, we cannot silence all these people indefinitely.”
“For now, no one will know. They’ll understand the severity of what transpired—no fool would spread idle rumors.”
Chu Hyeongi shook his head at my words.
He likely feared word would spread by tomorrow. Keeping people’s mouths shut was never a simple matter.
What happened within the Imperial Palace would spread to the marketplace by the next morning, as was always the way.
Yet I had already prepared countermeasures. Those who witnessed today’s events could not venture out alone for some time. Moreover, anyone leaving would move accompanied by soldiers.
This would keep the soldiers sufficiently occupied, and though inconvenient, it was the best method to silence them.
At minimum, half a year could be contained; with fortune, perhaps a full year.
“Well, I trust you’ll handle it well, Young Master. But what was that thing we saw earlier? Jeon Seo-gu?”
“Nothing of consequence. Don’t concern yourself with it. Go wash and change your clothes. The stench of blood is overwhelming.”
“Without me, who will protect you? Besides, you’re hardly free from the smell yourself.”
“I’m fine for now. Go rest. I have matters to contemplate.”
“Understood! I’ll wash and change, then return. I should sleep in your chambers tonight.”
As if struck by inspiration, Chu Hyeongi snapped his fingers and dashed toward his quarters with gleeful laughter.
From the look of him, he’d likely wash hastily before returning.
I exhaled deeply and entered my chamber.
I removed my blood-stained, torn garments and settled upon the bedchamber.
Soon, I withdrew a single letter from my breast.
It contained merely ordinary words inquiring after the other’s well-being.
To any observer, the content was utterly unremarkable.
Yet if one could decipher the hidden code, everything changed.

-Fifteen days hence, the Ten Elders enter Nakhyang

I took in the contents with a smile playing at my lips.
The Ten Elders were coming to Nakhyang?
So it was to be this moment.
Father had departed on a merchant expedition, leading a considerable portion of the Sega’s forces. Yet bandits had appeared without warning, and their martial prowess exceeded all expectations.
As a result, gaps had opened in our strength upon his return.
Many of the lower-ranked escort masters had perished, and countless others required prolonged treatment.
Naturally, we had to recruit new personnel to fill the depleted ranks.
Moreover, in my previous life, at Hong Gu-hyeon’s request, we had hired additional hands to supplement the Sega’s workforce, creating an environment where far more individuals could enter the Nakhyang Jin Family than usual.
And now the Ten Elders were arriving?
The situation unfolded as though painted by a master’s brush.
The Ten Elders’ objectives were unmistakable.
First was to locate the Jade Orb that Hong Gu-hyeon and his faction had failed to find, and second was the dismantling of the Nakhyang Jin Family itself.
Consequently, when they launched their assault, we could not mount a proper defense.
For we had enemies both without and within.
The memories of that time came flooding back with vivid clarity.
The faces of the dying, the agonized screams that echoed through the air.
Buildings engulfed in flame and the scent of blood that invaded my nostrils.
As those memories of that hellish time resurfaced, I felt my clenched fists tighten with unbidden force.
But now was different from then.
“Come, step into this place. You will learn that it is a hell from which there is no escape.”
With such resolve, I kindled the flames of my determination.
No one would ever lay a hand upon the Nakhyang Jin Family again.
No—I would ensure it.
For that was the very meaning of my return.
The problem was that Hong Gu-hyeon’s death could not be revealed until those villains had walked into the great snare that was the Nakhyang Jin Family.
I steadied my breathing and lay upon the bedchamber.
Was it from having moved so violently after so long?
I felt the poison’s influence mingling with overwhelming fatigue pressing down upon me. Yet I endured it and crossed my legs in meditation.
I had to cultivate my spiritual energy to suppress the poison.

* * *

The next morning, when I opened my eyes, I witnessed a peculiar sight.
It was Chu Hyeongi again.
He had spread his own threadbare blanket across the floor and lay there snoring, and for a moment I was so dumbfounded that words escaped me.
‘Is he genuinely innocent, or simply foolish? He actually slept in my room.’
Without thinking, I furrowed my brow and rose from my seat.
Irritated by his loud snoring, I lightly kicked him in the ribs.
“Hack! W-who is it!”
Chu Hyeongi bolted upright, raising his fists. The servants’ quarters typically housed three or four people together.
Judging by his readiness to strike at whoever stood before him, the man possessed considerable strength in that place.
Upon recognizing my face, he broke into an awkward smile.
“Hehe, you’re awake?”
“From now on, sleep outside the door. Your snoring is unbearable.”
“But sir, you had your eyes closed the whole time, as if you didn’t notice?”
“Sleep outside the door.”
“Yes….”
Deflated, he drooped his shoulders and began hastily gathering his blanket.
As I shook my head and exhaled a sigh, a maid’s voice called from beyond the door.
“Young Master, you have a visitor.”
“At this hour?”
“Yes, shall I turn them away?”
The maid’s voice was remarkably cautious.
She had to act as though yesterday’s events meant nothing, and her unease seeped through naturally despite her efforts.
Yet she continued striving to conceal her discomfort.
I too answered without concern.
“Let them in.”
“Understood.”
As her voice faded and her footsteps receded, I combed my disheveled hair and changed into fresh clothes.
Soon after, I opened the door and stepped outside.
The atmosphere throughout Sega mirrored that maid’s—familiar yet somehow strained.
Still, I could see those who greeted me, doing their best to maintain their usual composure.
I smiled faintly and headed toward the main gate.
As I appeared, the great doors swung wide open.
In that instant, the figure of a woman caught my eye with peculiar intensity.
A beautiful woman clad in a black martial robe.
She bowed her head respectfully as she gazed upon me.
“Since I treated you to a meal last time… I wondered if you might consider treating me today?”
The woman flashed a radiant smile.
As her dulcet voice penetrated my ears, my mind wavered, and I hastily drew upon my inner energy to resist.
The problem was Chu Hyeongi, who possessed no inner energy.
His eyes had glazed over—he looked ready to surrender every coin he owned just to buy her a meal.
I exhaled a long sigh and stepped forward, positioning myself between Chu Hyeongi and her.
I could feel the Opponent behind me straining desperately to catch a glimpse of the Unknown Woman over his shoulder.
“Gaaahhh-!”
I subtly crushed Chu Hyeongi’s foot beneath mine, offering her my response.
“Since I savored the cuisine of Hwaseon Guesthouse last time, it seems only fitting to enjoy the flavors of Unryong Inn today.”
“Hehehehe— it would be my honor, Young Master.”
“Then let us depart.”
At my words, the Unknown Woman nodded and cleared the path.
Moving naturally forward, I found myself smiling without conscious thought.
The arrival of this woman meant I had found what I sought.

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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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