The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 90

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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 90

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Escaping Beijing, I entered Hebei.
From here, passing through Hannam and entering Anhui once more, I would soon reach Hapbi, which could be called my destination.
Yet the journey remained considerably long regardless.
That was precisely why I had chosen the carriage.
It was far superior to traveling on horseback.
After traveling for quite some time, dusk fell without warning. Finding no village nearby to lodge in, I ultimately chose to camp under the stars.
Though I had brought various provisions, sleeping outdoors was never an easy affair.
Jang Chuchyeong kindled the campfire while Chaeseoha arranged our makeshift camp.
Gu Gunbaek had set out hunting to procure food, and before long, he would return with the most appetizing creature from the surrounding wildlife slung across his back.
I settled comfortably by the campfire, warming myself against the chill.
Then, Chaeseoha approached me quietly and extended her hand.
“What is it?”
“A pulse diagnosis. You were injured before arriving in Beijing, weren’t you?”
“Ah—yes, that’s true. But I’m fine now.”
“The human body can appear sound while rotting from within. Like the former Emperor.”
At her words, I nodded and offered my hand.
Chaeseoha took my pulse, her eyes closing gently, then nodded and rose from her seat.
“I’ll prepare a simple medicinal decoction for you. Your internal injuries haven’t fully healed.”
“I’m grateful.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s because of me that you suffered this. It’s the least I can do.”
With a warm smile, she began preparing the decoction. As she combined various medicinal herbs, the silk veil shimmering before her eyes seemed to irritate her, so she cast it aside.
With only Jang Chuchyeong, Gu Gunbaek, and myself nearby, she appeared unbothered by revealing her face.
Soon, a visage as fair and luminous as an immortal maiden was unveiled.
I gazed at it for a moment, then wore a puzzled expression.
“Now that I think about it, how did you fix it?”
“My face, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“It’s simple. I requested the necessary medicinal herbs from the Imperial Palace. The moment I mentioned it was to heal the Emperor, they brought me everything I asked for.”
She smiled brightly and rummaged through her bundle, producing something.
It appeared to be cloth rolled tightly, but when she unfolded it, rare medicinal herbs that were difficult to obtain revealed themselves in abundance.
I too was left speechless.
These were items neither easy to procure nor inexpensive.
I regarded her with an expression of bewilderment.
“Did you steal them?”
“Steal? They were given freely when I said it was to heal the Emperor. Of course, I had no intention whatsoever of actually healing him.”
To be precise, I couldn’t have fixed it.
It would have been impossible without the Chae Family’s Spirit Elixir in the first place.
It seemed Chaeseoha had made excellent use of that situation.
With the unwavering hope that she would escape.
I smiled and nodded.
“Either way, you did well. Those would have been meaningless if left alone, but now they can be put to good use.”
With so many precious medicinal ingredients at hand, I couldn’t fathom what would be crafted or where they’d be applied, but either way, it posed no harm to me.
“Hoo-rah!”
Then.
Gu Gunbaek returned, having apparently finished his hunt.
As he lowered the massive wild boar from his shoulder to the ground, dust billowed up with a thunderous thud.
“…That’s incredibly large.”
“Hahahaha! This size is what makes for proper eating. Wild game is tough, so if you want only the good cuts, there’s not much left to eat.”
Gu Gunbaek grinned wickedly and drew the short blade from his waist.
With practiced efficiency, he began butchering, and the massive boar was dismantled in moments.
Chaeseoha watched in fascination, her mouth agape with wonder.
Shortly after, Chu Hyeongi, who had finished his preparations at a distance, rushed over and likewise drew his short blade, beginning to cut the butchered meat and roast it.
Master and disciple moved in perfect synchrony.
Whether from the sight and aroma of the meat browning over the flames, hungry groans echoed from all around.
Gu Gunbaek had driven the carriage relentlessly without pause, so no one had properly rested or eaten.
Then, a hand reached out without hesitation to take some barely-cooked meat—none other than Gu Gunbaek himself, and though it was surely still scalding hot, he paid no mind and popped it into his mouth.
Watching him chew the meat with blood dripping down his chin, he was the very picture of a savage.
Soon, his gaze turned toward Chu Hyeongi.
“Finish eating quickly, disciple, and follow your master.”
“Me? Why?”
“When I say come, you come. Don’t ask so many questions, you brat.”
“Ahhhhh! I’m coming, I’m coming! Don’t pull my ear!”
At Chu Hyeongi’s cries, Gu Gunbaek finally seemed satisfied, nodded, and released his grip.
Then, as if urging him to eat, he carelessly tossed uncooked meat onto Chu Hyeongi’s plate.
Because of this, the boy looked at me with a pitiful expression, seeming to seek help, but I simply ignored him and waited for the meat to cook properly.
The meat cooked faster than expected.
The cuts had been chosen with some care, so the meat wasn’t tough even when eaten, and finally Chaeseoha and I could satisfy our hunger as well.
However, Chu Hyeongi, who had been eating the undercooked meat, was about to reach for the properly cooked portions when Gu Gunbaek suddenly rose and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragging him away.
“Ahhh! I haven’t finished eating yet!”
“You’ve eaten plenty. Your belly looks ready to burst.”
“My stomach’s just distended! Ahhh!”
“You’ve eaten that much and you won’t die. Come on. We’re wasting time.”
Chu Hyeongi was dragged away without being able to resist properly.
Gradually disappearing into the darkness, it seemed they were heading somewhere without people.
Once they were no longer visible, I shook my head and returned my focus to eating.
“What could they be planning at this hour? It’s not as though they’re going hunting.”
“They’re attempting to establish a Spirit Elixir.”
“Couldn’t that be done here?”
“When guiding spiritual energy, I’ll fundamentally be following the elder’s inner cultivation method. As a physician, you’d recognize the pathways just by observing how the vital essence swells in each moment….”
“And?”
“I simply cannot trust it.”
“Haha.”
I smacked my lips and clicked my tongue.
In truth, I had been hoping to witness the spectacle of spiritual energy being guided.
If that were to happen, I could comprehend Gu Gunbaek’s inner cultivation method, and through it, fill the gaps in my own.
But Gu Gunbaek seemed unwilling to reveal it so readily.
“In any case, we won’t be able to move for a while.”
“As long as we can rest comfortably, anything is fine. Ahhh—how pleasant.”
Chaeseoha stretched languidly and sprawled across the ground.
She seemed quite content, as though savoring the cold, firm sensation beneath her.
“Isn’t the Jin Family compound more comfortable than this?”
“Only the Jin Family was truly comfortable. The Imperial Palace felt… suffocating and oppressive. Ahhh—and while the Jin Family was pleasant, I suppose because I spent so long living on the ground, this still feels better.”
Chaeseoha rolled across the earth without concern for her clothes becoming soiled, savoring the texture.
Though she seemed to have endured unwanted hardship and difficult times, her present demeanor suggested she had completely cast such matters aside.
I watched her for a moment, then turned my gaze away.
“Someone approaches.”
I sensed a presence.
Startled by my words, Chaeseoha hastily rose to her feet and quickly wrapped the cloth she had removed back around her face.
The presence drew steadily closer.
I grasped the sword beside me and narrowed my eyes to slits.
As the presence drew near, I fixed my gaze upon it.
“Well, it seems we have guests.”
With a man’s voice, numerous figures emerged into view.
At a glance, more than ten individuals.
All of them bore the unmistakable mark of those trained in martial arts.
“Sleeping rough in a place like this? That’s dangerous.”
Then, a man stepped forward and addressed me.
Though he spoke with a gentle smile, his eyes never left mine, and it was clear he was prepared for any contingency.
There was nothing more tense than encountering strangers in a mountain range.
I rose to my feet and regarded the man at the forefront.
Suppressing the smile that threatened to form at my lips, I steadied my breath and adopted the most respectful posture and demeanor I could muster, clasping my fist in salute.
“Are you in need of a place to rest? There is vacant space further that way.”
“Haha, no need. I merely sensed a presence on my way back and came to investigate. But… might I ask your name?”
“I am Jin Cheon-u of the Nakhyang Jin Family.”
“…!”
The moment the man heard the name Jin Family, his eyes widened in shock.
His lips trembled slightly, and it wasn’t just he who did so—the others around him, if only for a brief instant, emanated a palpable killing intent.
A sharp, tingling sensation—!
In that fleeting moment, the murderous aura felt like thousands of needles piercing through my body.
Truly, just a flash.
So brief that even those trained in martial arts might have doubted their own perception.
Soon the man’s eyes softened again, and his words flowed without the sharpness of a honed blade.
“I see. Haha, what an honor for me. To encounter the Young Master of the Jin Family in such a place, no less. But to think you’re sleeping under the stars…”
“If there’s a decent village nearby, I’d appreciate directions.”
“Haha, I’m afraid I don’t know the area well myself.”
The man laughed heartily as he spoke.
But his laughter soon ceased, and his dulled eyes sharpened once more.
As if trying to pierce through to the very depths of my being.
In that instant, a certain image flashed through my mind, and I naturally moved my hand in preparation for something.
“….”
I saw his eyes tremble faintly for a moment before they quickly faded, and the man’s lips parted carefully.
“But where are you returning from?”
“Beijing.”
“Beijing? What business would the Young Master of the Jin Family have in such a place…”
“Is that something you need to know?”
“Haha, my apologies. I spoke out of turn. What business is the Jin Family’s to us? I was merely curious, so pay it no mind.”
The man waved his hand dismissively and stepped back.
He seemed to ponder something for a moment, then looked directly at me and posed another question.
“By chance… where are you headed? If our paths align, we could travel together.”
“I’m heading to Hapbi.”
“Hapbi? Haha! How fortunate—we’re returning there ourselves. What say you to traveling together so the journey isn’t so tedious?”
I shook my head lightly in response.
Apparently not expecting an outright refusal, the man’s expression flickered with surprise.
“My companions are particular about strangers. Besides, I have other matters to attend to, and our departure will likely be delayed considerably. Please go ahead without us.”
“Haha… is that so? What a shame. But very well! This too is fate—when you reach Hapbi, do seek me out. I’ll buy you a drink. It’s not every day one gets the chance to share a cup with the Young Master of the Nakhyang Jin Family, after all.”
“I’m grateful. But… I don’t believe I caught your name?”
“Goodness, where are my manners? I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Cho Hyeon-gang of the Chohyeon Family.”
“Cho Hyeon-gang, I shall remember you.”
As I nodded in acknowledgment, the man finally broke into a satisfied smile. He then issued some command to his subordinates behind him, and they began to depart one by one.
Cho Hyeon-gang himself lingered for a moment, regarding me, before bowing slightly and launching himself away with remarkable speed.
I watched as they vanished before my eyes in an instant.
Truly extraordinary lightness of movement.
They became mere specks and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“Cho Hyeon-gang, then…”
As I gazed after them, repeating the name, a familiar face surfaced in my mind, and a faint smile played across my lips.
“I never expected to encounter you in a place like this.”

Ma Hyeong-chu, Leader of the Blood Demon Squad.

That was the name of the man before him.

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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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