The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 86
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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 147
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Fluttering—fluttering—!
Carrier pigeons scattered in all directions.
As if sharing information in real time, the endless stream of carrier pigeons dispersed across the sky, repeatedly descending and taking flight again.
It was a sight often seen when pursuing someone while coordinating efforts, yet something felt distinctly different from usual.
Not only the carrier pigeons of the drifters, but those of the Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga, the Snowpeak Sect, and even the Mingsha Sect circled the heavens.
Hyeon Illyang, observing this, smiled.
Though he had been severely reprimanded for offending his father’s disposition, he had gained an opportunity to make amends.
Hyeon Illyang glanced sideways.
The elite forces of the three sects gathered there were confirming information arriving in real time.
“They say they’re heading toward Gi Ryeon Mountain.”
“Their audacity is swollen solid. Of all places, they come here.”
“Do you think they have something to rely on?”
“If they did, they would have shown themselves long ago.”
The bounty on the heads of the two women alone was ten taels of gold.
The drifters, who had never touched a single piece of gold in their lives, had their eyes bulging with greed, and the Snowpeak Sect and Mingsha Sect, confined to their remote mountain villages, felt the same.
Moreover, since the two sects were receiving assistance from the Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga, they had even dispatched their first-generation disciples to make a strong impression this time.
Given the situation, the carriage driven by the two women had become like prey caught in a net of heaven and earth, and their side merely needed to drive the quarry to the desired location.
“What of our forces?”
“They are currently pursuing closely from behind. It seems they will catch up before long.”
At those words, Hyeon Illyang nodded.
He intended to demonstrate the power of the Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga to those women without reservation. Against whom they had drawn their blades and whose commands they had defied.
When they understood all of these circumstances, they would realize they could never escape from the embrace of the Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga.
“Let us move as well.”
“Yes!”
Hyeon Illyang led the elite forces of the three sects forward.
Slowly tightening the snare, at the moment when they could not even twitch, I would be the one to seize the two women.
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“Phew— they’re persistent.”
“Hah, hah… Y-yes, I never expected it to be this bad…”
At Chaeseoha’s disgruntled muttering in front of the halted carriage, Namgung Yeon nodded while catching her breath.
Scattered around her were countless fallen bodies.
Most were wandering swordsmen known throughout the region, and their numbers had already reached twenty.
As if intent on denying them even a moment’s rest, they kept locating their position and rushing in, making it impossible to sleep, bathe, or eat properly.
While Chaeseoha, who wasn’t fighting, was fine, Namgung Yeon, who had been engaged in this fierce battle for four days already, was considerably exhausted.
After steadying her breathing, she gulped down water and shoved dried meat into her mouth.
If she didn’t fill her stomach with water and food during these brief moments to catch her breath, she had no idea when she’d get another chance to eat.
I watched Namgung Yeon and smiled.
This was the worst.
Not just her body, but her spirit seemed severely strained. She was holding on somehow, but I couldn’t tell how much longer she could endure.
And the real problem was just beginning.
The fact that the wandering swordsmen’s attacks had become sparse meant we’d already entered the territory of Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga.
We had to be even more careful from here on.
Not only the elite of Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga, but disciples of Seolsan Sect and Myeongsa Mountain Sect could emerge to curry favor with them.
I stretched leisurely and spoke.
“If you say you can’t continue, I’ll help you.”
“…I am your guard. Protecting you is my role. And I haven’t… given up yet.”
Namgung Yeon looked at me with a resolute expression.
Everything happening now had been entrusted to her.
Understanding that, she seemed determined to do her best to fulfill her duty.
I nodded with an involuntary smile.
“That’s what you need to do. When I meet Chu Hyeongi in Namman, I can’t afford to fall behind.”
“…”
At the mention of Jang Chuchyeong’s name, Namgung Yeon clenched her fists.
Unlike herself, who had no master’s teachings, Jang Chuchyeong was a disciple of the Demon King.
Gu Gunbaek would teach his disciple everything he possessed—all his knowledge and experience—so if she simply stood still, the gap would widen rapidly and never close again.
Namgung Yeon could not accept that.
Having accomplished everything alone to reach this point, she wanted to grow with all her might until the very end and stand before Jang Chuchyeong.
“It’s over there!”
At that moment, a voice came from somewhere, snapping us back to attention.
Chaeseoha quickly climbed onto the carriage, and Namgung Yeon took her place beside it. I moved rather leisurely and entered the carriage, when suddenly Chaeseoha’s gaze turned toward me.
As the carriage began moving, her voice reached me.
“Only you’re relaxed, Master. I’m completely frazzled.”
“It’s a matter I’ve entrusted to you. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit relaxed.”
“Anyway… one sword causing all this… the martial world is truly fascinating.”
“That’s how it is. Once a grudge forms, there’s no escaping it. Not until one of them disappears.”
“…”
With a soft chuckle, Chaeseoha’s gaze turned toward me.
Interpreting his words now, it meant that unless we surrendered and died, or the Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga disappeared, the situation would not change.
Crack—
Eventually, she sighed and began cracking the whip.
The carriage surged forward with terrifying speed once more.
As we raced at full velocity to avoid being caught by those pursuing us, the place we had been was already far behind.
But I could not think of this as having shaken them off.
I looked up at the sky.
In that moment, I saw several carrier pigeons soaring high into the air.
As the pigeons scattered, flying toward somewhere, they would soon create another enemy before us.
With such thoughts, I looked at Namgung Yeon and saw her scanning her surroundings rapidly with a tense expression.
Compared to a few days ago, she had grown considerably thinner.
The shadows beneath her eyes had also deepened considerably.
Her body and spirit were visibly cornered.
Yet despite this, simply watching her think endlessly about how to overcome this crisis showed that she felt a sense of responsibility in her own way.
But was there time to think?
“They’re coming.”
“…!”
Whoosh—!
The brush ahead split open as several figures emerged.
Beings dressed distinctly differently from before.
At a glance, they were disciples of a sect that had reached considerable heights.
Namgung Yeon clenched her teeth as she confirmed the embroidery on their garments.
“The Snowmountain Sect!”
The moment she spoke that name, a disciple of the Snowmountain Sect rushed at her with terrifying speed, closing the distance.
In one breath, he caught up to the carriage’s speed using lightness martial arts, then swung his sword as if aiming for the reins.
But Namgung Yeon’s blade was faster.
Clang—!
In an instant, their swords crossed, and she immediately targeted her opponent.
It was the Snowmountain Sect disciple who was startled.
As if what he had heard was clearly different from what he felt, his eyes widened. Namgung Yeon’s superiority was so evident that bewilderment filled the eyes and expression of the man wielding his sword against her.
Unable to endure any longer, the man who had crossed blades with her frowned and retreated.
But the others beside him threw themselves forward, and the pressure began anew. Chaeseoha gripped the carriage reins, turning sharply to shake them off with all her might.
“There are more!”
Then, along with Chaeseoha’s voice, another group appeared.
As if they knew the path ahead, the Snowmountain Sect disciples who had been hiding emerged simultaneously, throwing themselves forward to get as close to the carriage as possible.
Blades wielded by several men flew in sharply.
Namgung Yeon’s eyes flashed at the sight.
Still drawing upon her inner energy, which had not fully recovered, she moved her blade to block the swords flying at her from all directions.
The fastest swordplay in the martial arts of the Namgung Sect.
The Thirteen Lightning Swords of Flash.
Clang-clang-clang-crash—!
The sharp metallic ring of clashing blades echoed endlessly, assaulting the ears.
Her single move, which seemed capable of blocking everything, struck down the disciples’ swords and astonished them, while the uncontrolled inner force scattered outward, pushing her opponents back.
“Ugh?!”
“Argh!”
The Snowmountain Sect disciples cried out in pain as they tumbled across the ground.
It appeared to be swordplay that infused power into rapid, swift strikes, but in truth it was a technique that cut sharply rather than simply pushing through brute force.
Namgung Yeon’s expression darkened as she executed the technique.
The circumstances were satisfactory enough, but just like before, it had become nothing more than simple swordplay that relied purely on force.
“Settle yourself more.”
“Yes.”
I offered a word of guidance as I watched Namgung Yeon.
She nodded with a stern expression, then steadied her breathing as if recollecting herself, sharpening her senses and beginning to survey her surroundings with heightened awareness.
There was no way to know where another attacker might emerge from.
We had been fortunate enough to block this ambush, but I couldn’t assume the next encounter would yield the same result.
I smiled faintly and gazed out the window.
“Somehow, nothing is deviating from my expectations.”
I shook my head as I watched the Snowmountain Sect disciples gradually retreat. If they were going to such lengths to assist the Gi Ryeon-hyeon-ga, they could have at least changed their clothes.
The fact that they arrived in the unmistakable robes of their sect and wielded their swords showed they had rushed here, unwilling to cede credit to the Mingsha Sect.
But they are not the only ones.
“There! Block it!”
As a voice rang out from somewhere, a massive tree that had been standing peacefully toppled over.
Boom!
With a violent crash, the fallen tree blocked the path, and Chaeseoha, who was driving the carriage, gasped and yanked the reins, changing direction.
“Damn it! Chase them!”
Though I thought they would stop, contrary to expectations, as the carriage swerved and fled, the men cried out and threw themselves forward.
It seemed these ronin still refused to give up.
There were quite a few of them as well.
However, their skill level was not particularly high, and they could not keep pace with the rapidly advancing carriage, gradually falling behind.
Seeing this, Chaeseoha released a sigh of relief.
“Phew… phew—that was close.”
“Don’t let your guard down. Everything is proceeding as planned.”
“Plan… plan? What plan was there?”
At Chaeseoha’s question, even Namgung Yeon looked at me with a puzzled expression. Yet her eyes sparkled—the look of someone who sensed I had something in mind.
But how could that be?
I gazed at the two women with amusement playing at the corners of my lips.
“According to their plan.”
“What?!”
“We’re being herded. Toward a place most convenient for them.”
In truth, if I had wished, there were countless ways to stop the carriage.
But they had forced us to change direction with a clumsy ambush, and despite being able to pursue us with full strength, they chose not to—letting us pass as if herding cattle.
Like a deliberate drive.
What did that signify?
It meant they suffered no great loss even if they let us escape for now.
Which also meant they had already set their trap at the end of this road.
The moment my words startled the two women into contemplation.
The carriage emerged from the narrow alley onto a wider path.
What revealed itself then was.
A sharp screech—!
In a vast open space, easily over fifty martial artists stood blocking the road.
A high-pitched whinny—!
Chaeseoha seized the reins urgently, bringing the carriage to a halt.
Whether she lacked the courage to trample through people, or feared the threats that would rain down from all sides the moment she attempted such an act, I could not say—but it was a prudent decision.
“This is…”
“Didn’t I tell you? We’re being herded.”
Namgung Yeon swallowed hard, her body trembling as she struggled to speak. At my response, she swallowed again and slowly descended from the carriage.
Her eyes, gripping her blade, took in the countless figures before her, and soon her gaze became as sharp and honed as a perfectly whetted sword as she fixed them upon her adversaries.
“Step aside. I will tolerate no further obstruction.”
Namgung Yeon spoke fearlessly, leveling her sword toward the gathered crowd.
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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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