The Youngest Son of the Nanyang Jin Family - Chapter 93

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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 Jin Family of Luoyang – Chapter 154

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Life in Namman was not particularly inconvenient.
Food was no concern since the beasts hunted for us, and clothing was plentiful enough that I gave it little thought.
There was only one problem—insects.
Upon waking, my entire body would be covered in crawling creatures. Though I brushed them off without much concern, I could never quite shake the unpleasant sensation.
Today, as always, I rose from my resting place while shaking off the insects clinging to me.
Without a proper bed, I had merely arranged large leaves as bedding, so I could never escape the stiffness that came with it.
Yet compared to my nights sleeping rough in the past, this was reasonably comfortable.
If I had to envy anyone, it would be Chaeseoha.
I turned my gaze toward her.
A place where enormous wolves clustered together in abundance.
They moved as one, demonstrating their pack nature, and there in their midst, Chaeseoha slept soundly with gentle snores.
She had made the soft body of a wolf her bed and used its tail as a blanket—truly the picture of a Namman native.
Consider it.
Most Namman people sleeping here rested alongside the beasts they raised, and was this not exactly like Chaeseoha?
I shook my head, stretched, and turned away.
From the massive cavern high above—a place one could only see by looking up—came the sound of footsteps.
Only one person could sleep in that place.
Gu Gunbaek alone.
As expected, his great height forced me to look up, and since he stood in such an elevated position, I had to crane my neck back painfully far to see him.
Was this how the people of the Demon Palace of Namman understood the relationship between their lord and themselves?
How barbaric.
Then, Gu Gunbaek’s voice reached me.
“Namman treating you well enough?”
“Not badly. Except for the insects, that is.”
“Hahahaha! That’s just old Central Plains habits clinging to you. Insects crawling on you? That’s breakfast.”
“…I would prefer you refrain from such appetite-suppressing remarks.”
Gu Gunbaek, as if to prove his words were no jest, plucked insects from his clothing one by one and popped them into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch—
Watching him chew, I found myself thinking that Namgung Baek would fit in here far better than either myself or Jang Chuchyeong.
I frowned and turned my head away.
“Where is Chu Hyeongi?”
“Ah, that one. Sent him to train.”
“Training? Already?”
I wondered if he was pushing his disciple too hard, even for one he taught so generously.
It had felt similar before, but never to this extreme—a stark change from how things once were.
“A Namman person! And if you’re my disciple, there’s something you must do! Because you’ll inherit the Demon Palace next. Hehehehe!”
“What are you asking me to do?”
“Why would you want to know? Should I have you do it too?”
I shook my head at those words.
I was curious about where he’d sent someone and what they were doing that made him grin so slyly, but I judged it better to feign ignorance for my own safety.
“You’re a stubborn one, hehehehe. But aren’t you hungry? I have some dried frogs around here—want some?”
Gu Gunbaek disappeared for a moment before returning, and in his hands I saw crimson frogs and multicolored frogs dried to brittleness, skewered on wooden sticks.
The moment I saw them, a headache struck.
I’d filled my empty belly with frogs before, but those were always the non-poisonous ones.
These were clearly highly toxic at a glance.
“I’ll have to decline.”
“Kehehehe, you have quite particular tastes.”
Gu Gunbaek showed no sign of stopping his laughter, as if he found this situation amusing.
Like someone who invites guests to their home and finds even greater satisfaction in watching them enjoy themselves.
Well, it made sense.
Among the powers of the southern regions, Namman ranked among the three strongest, but it had little contact with the Central Plains.
The reason was simple.
Because the Demonic Sect blocked the entrance to Namman, and no martial artist of sound mind from the righteous or unorthodox paths would dare approach.
I clicked my tongue and surveyed the area around Gu Gunbaek once more.
Because there was something conspicuously absent for someone of the Demon Palace Master’s station.
From the moment I reunited with Gu Gunbaek in this Namman until now.
A beast that every Namman person carries with them at all times.
Such a creature had not appeared once.
“But sir, don’t you keep a beast?”
“I do. There’s not a single Namman person who doesn’t. Usually they receive one from their parents at birth. But I’m a bit different.”
“Different how?”
Gu Gunbaek straightened his shoulders as if he’d been waiting for that question. Soon he curled his lips upward, bared his teeth, and spoke with a voice full of pride.
“He was born at the same time as me. That’s our Baekgu.”
“Born on the same day and hour?”
“Yes, my mother gave birth to both me and Baekgu at the exact same time and moment beside his mother. Ahahaha! Isn’t that magnificent?”
Given such a bond, they didn’t seem to travel separately like complete strangers. Considering that he’d even left Baekgu behind when he went to the Central Plains, I thought they might not be as close as one would expect.
Dogs are said to follow their masters well, but perhaps this one thought of him not as a master but as a subordinate.
I let out a small chuckle.
“Yet I’ve never seen him by your side.”
“He likes to take walks alone. Right now he’s probably marking his territory and wandering about somewhere. Over there somewhere.”
Gu Gunbaek gestured with his chin toward a direction.
The trees and undergrowth were so dense that even with his indication, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location—that was the drawback.
Then Gu Gunbaek gestured with his chin toward another spot.
This time, unlike before, I could identify the location more precisely.
“If you’re bored with nothing to do, go check it out over there. There’s quite a bit to see. For someone like you whose hobby is spying on others’ martial techniques, it’d be absolutely maddening.”
“What is it?”
“This cave contains the training grounds of past Demon Palace Lords who carved it out.”
“…!”
I couldn’t hide my astonishment at that moment.
If Gu Gunbaek’s words were true, then this massive cave I now stood in was not formed naturally, but carved out by human hands.
The entrance to the cave was so enormous that even Gu Gunbaek, who boasted an overwhelming height and build, appeared diminished by comparison.
A training ground created by those who carved such a place?
Just as he said, my interest was naturally piqued.
As I smiled with an intrigued expression, Gu Gunbaek’s eyes gleamed.
“Go take a look if you want.”
“Am I permitted to enter? I thought it might be a forbidden area of the Demon Palace.”
“What’s the big deal about a training ground? If skills could skyrocket overnight just from seeing one, the Southern Regions would have already become the hegemon of the Central Plains. Kkhkhkhkh.”
Ak Gucheon’s words aren’t exactly wrong.
Even if one were to see it, there was nothing to be gained, and even if one were to gain something, it would not be much—understanding this, he seemed to regard it as unimportant.
But I’m saying this because I judged that the traces remaining there would surely be helpful to me.
“Since no one from the Beast Palace ever looks for this place anyway, take your time and look around if you have a chance. And if you happen to see that white dog wandering around, say hello to it.”
How did you find out?
“There’s a wooden tag hanging on it. A wooden tag with ‘Baekgu’ written on it is hanging around its neck. It would be strange if you couldn’t recognize it. So I’m going.”
Ak Gucheon smiled softly and turned away, disappearing from sight.
I watched his retreating figure as he waved his hand and turned away, and without realizing it, I furrowed my brow and looked toward where Ak Gu-cheon had pointed.
It looks like an ordinary place, but it sparks my interest.
However, as Akgucheon pushed from behind, he couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable sense of unease.
In the end, he returned to where he had been sleeping and grasped the sword that lay there.
Where are you going?
Namgung Yeon’s voice rang out, and she naturally followed along, her exhaustion evident on her face.
Though I could feel his determination to go anywhere together, his hollow eyes and noticeably gaunt face suggested he needed rest.
He must have been feeling considerable fatigue from the long journey, and having immediately engaged in an exciting match with Jangchu upon arrival, the weight of that exhaustion would feel particularly heavy.
“Stay by Soha’s side, not mine. I’m going to take a short walk.”
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry about it. If you really have nothing else to do, you can at least share with Chuhyung and Geom.”
When the story about Jang Chu-hyung came up, Namgung Yeon’s brow furrowed.
Moreover, it’s a look that doesn’t seem to treat them as human.
It felt as if I had just seen something filthy.
I could sense how Namgung Yeon regarded Jang Chu as a person.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Yes, please take care on your way.”
I left her bowing her head behind and began moving toward the place Akgu Cheon had mentioned.
It wasn’t like the rugged mountains I had seen in the Central Plains, but it was covered on all sides with plants I had never seen before, and with each step I felt a sticky sensation that gave me an uneasy feeling.
Plants and insects I’d never seen before in my life, and the gaze of beasts watching me from every corner.
Since Chaeso came to this place, I think I somewhat understand why she doesn’t sleep properly and keeps poking around here and there.
At that moment.
Something swiftly blocked my path.
A massive black leopard stood before me.
The creature glared at me, baring its fangs in threat.
Grrrrrowl—!
The low, ominous sound would have frozen an ordinary person in place the moment they heard it.
Whether it was trying to block my advance or had recognized me as prey, I had no intention of stopping my steps simply because a beast threatened me.
I took another step forward, releasing my aura without restraint.
“Move aside.”
Flinch—!
With a single step, the creature shrank back and retreated.
Yet it showed no sign of yielding easily, growling once more as it bared its sharp fangs.
I advanced again, drawing my sword halfway from its sheath.
In that instant, an even more powerful aura surged forth, pressing down on all directions. The chirping of birds ceased, and even the insects that had been crying fell silent.
The surroundings became deathly quiet in an instant, leaving only me and the creature blocking my way.
The moment I opened my eyes wide with a cold gaze.
Whoosh—!
Unable to overcome the pressure, the leopard finally leaped away and fled.
Though I had merely won a battle of wills against a beast, I felt oddly satisfied.
A smile played at my lips as I slowly advanced inward. Just as Gu Gunbaek had said, it was abundantly clear that even the people of the Demon Palace did not venture here—there were no traces of human passage.
Only scattered animal tracks were visible.
“They built a training ground in such a place? I truly cannot fathom the thinking of these Namman people.”
I understood that their way of life differed from that of Central Plains folk, but it felt strange that this location was so far removed from the cave where the Palace Master resided.
Yet this was a trace left by the Palace Masters who had created that cave.
The thought that these small marks they had left behind might somehow aid me prevented me from halting my advance.
In that moment.
My vision rippled, and the landscape twisted.
“….”
I tried to retreat at this strange occurrence, but the transformed landscape did not return, as if I had already sunk into an irreversible quagmire.
Simultaneously, a wave of heat washed over me.
Every plant before my eyes began to move as if alive, and from all around, I felt the intense gaze of something invisible.
A chill ran down my spine sharp enough to feel it all at once.
This place was no ordinary location.
Only then could I reflect upon Gu Gunbaek’s words anew.
The Namman people did not avoid coming here out of reluctance. They did not venture here because they understood that danger awaited the moment they entered.
And that leopard that had blocked my path.
I realized it had moved to warn me, not to prevent my entry.
Sigh—
A breath escaped me, and my expression twisted.
Simultaneously, curses directed at Gu Gunbaek tumbled from my lips.
“This… mad old fool.”

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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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