The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

Two brilliant stars shone in the night sky, a canvas of inky black like a freshly painted scroll.

At that very moment, as midnight struck the Central Plains, two children were born.

One of them, blessed by all, let out a mighty cry as if to announce his arrival to the world.

But the other child, who opened his eyes in a space filled with silence, did not burst into tears. Instead, he stared at the world with a hazy gaze.

As if he were chasing something.

"Haaaah—!"

The Jin Family, the number one merchant family of Shanxi.

Jin Seomok, the head of the Jin Family who, in just thirty years, had transformed a small family business selling bamboo mats at the market into the greatest merchant family in all of Shanxi, had one very big worry.

"How many days has it been now?"

At his muttering, his ever-present and reliable bodyguard, Mu Yonghu, answered.

"It's been a month and two weeks. A new record."

"Hah..."

Jin Seomok felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

He had two children; the first was a son, and the second was a daughter.

Like almost all parents, Jin Seomok raised his children as if they were precious jewels, and the two, who had been bright since they were young, had been his pride and joy from the day they were born.

But at some point, his eldest son, Jin Sohyun, began to laze about.

The reason for it was truly dumbfounding.

—Isn't Gahyeon brighter and more diligent in business than I am? Therefore, I plan to spend my childhood in wealth and peace, as befits a young master of a rich family. Hahaha!

It would have been one thing if he had at least wandered outside and acted the part of a rich young master, but true to his grand declaration, Jin Sohyun shut himself up in his room and refused to come out.

According to the maidservant who attended to him, Jin Sohyun spent the entire day either sleeping or staring blankly outside.

Things that a normal person would get tired of in two days, Jin Sohyun had been doing for a whopping forty-four days straight.

"What am I to do about this..."

Even Jin Seomok, the peerless genius who had turned an ordinary family into the greatest merchant family in Shanxi, was at a loss when it came to his child's education.

Of course, just as Jin Sohyun had said, his daughter, Jin Gahyeon, had been smart since she was little, graduating from the Thousand Character Classic at the age of three. She was also bright in business matters, and now, not even ten years old, she was pestering him to take her on his merchant trips.

Every time Jin Seomok looked at Jin Gahyeon, who was not just adequate but overflowing with talent, his stomach churned.

"It would have been better if Gahyeon had been born a boy..."

As Jin Seomok's mouth turned bitter with regret, the young gatekeeper guarding the family's entrance came running, out of breath.

"Family Head! A guest has arrived."

"A guest? I'm not expecting anyone today... Well, who has come to see me?"

"His clothes are shabby, so he doesn't seem to be of high status, and he appears to be an old man over seventy."

"An old man... Hah! Don't tell me he has a small scar on one cheek, like a knife cut?"

"I believe that was the case."

Jin Seomok was greatly surprised.

It seemed this young gatekeeper had no idea who the old man was.

"You fool! Let him in at once! No, wait! I must go myself."

While Jin Seomok descended the stairs with a haste unbefitting the master of the number one merchant family of Shanxi, a leisurely hum drifted from a corner of the great estate.

"Hwaaahm—! Siu, how many days has it been today?"

The girl named Siu snapped her head up.

Her short bob, tied tightly on both sides, bounced.

"It's the forty-fourth day!"

"I see! A new record?"

"Yes, that's right. The previous record was forty-two days."

"Ugh—! My skill at lazing around is improving by the day."

Jin Sohyun lazed about on the wide wooden porch, enjoying the warm sunlight.

He was eleven years old.

Having been fortunate enough to be born the son of the wealthiest man in the region, he had used his sharp mind to ponder deeply and finally reached a single conclusion.

'Why should I go out of my way to suffer? My family is overflowing with money.'

He had realized early on that 'even if one person like me does nothing and just lazes around, the Jin Family, the greatest merchant family in Shanxi, will not fall to ruin.'

Thanks to this, Jin Sohyun became a lazy bum who enjoyed idling away each and every day.

His body, which had an extreme aversion to movement from birth, was limp like waterlogged cotton.

His arms and legs, devoid of muscle, were used only for turning over, picking up sweets, or going to the privy.

"Young Master. Here, try some of this."

"It's an apple?"

"Yes! It's an apple from Uncle Yu. It's very sweet."

"Uncle Yu is a genius when it comes to growing fruit!"

Lying down, Jin Sohyun munched on the apple Siu fed him and smiled with satisfaction.

A lazy, wealthy, and peaceful life.

This was what one could call the true life of a rich young master.

"Oh, Young Master! Did you hear that the Family Head has a guest?"

"A guest?"

"Yes."

"So what?"

As the family was the greatest merchant family in Shanxi, guests coming to see the Family Head, Jin Seomok, were overflowing.

Hadn't countless guests come and gone just today, ensuring the gates of the Jin Family never closed?

Most were merchants or martial arts factions trying to establish a connection with the Jin Family.

But it seemed this guest was a little special.

Because Siu, who vied for the title of quickest-witted in the world as befitting a merchant family's servant, had her eyes sparkling.

"You won't believe it. The Family Head went out to greet the guest himself."

"Eh? My father, who's famous for how heavy his butt is, went himself?"

Jin Seomok always said, 'The higher the family's prestige, the heavier the family head's butt must be. That way, you won't be looked down upon.' He never went out to greet anyone first unless it was the head of a prestigious family.

For such a father to go out and greet a guest himself, this was no ordinary matter.

'This feels ominous.'

Jin Sohyun, who had a knack for sniffing out troublesome and annoying things, pushed himself up.

Siu was startled by the sight.

"Young Master! If you get up so suddenly...!"

"Ugh—!"

As Jin Sohyun staggered from a dizzy spell caused by sitting up abruptly, Siu quickly supported him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Ah, let's go inside. And if anyone comes looking for me, tell them I have a terrible cold and am burning up with a high fever!"

Feeling an inexplicable chill, Jin Sohyun moved his body for the first time in a long while and crawled into his bed.

Pulling the covers over his head, he couldn't feel more snug.

'I think I can laze around like this until day fifty.'

The comfort of the high-quality bed made Jin Sohyun's eyes slowly close.

Sleep came creeping in.

***

"Kekeke—! That little brat is already eleven?"

"That's right. Hooo... But he just lazes around like that..."

"If his laziness is that severe, why not try making him suffer a bit? There's a Beggars' Sect branch nearby, you could ask them."

"I've already tried that."

"You've tried it?"

When the old man asked with wide eyes, Jin Seomok replied in a sigh-filled voice.

"I hardened my heart and left Sohyun with the Beggars' Sect. I believed that after experiencing the life of a beggar for about a week, he would realize how precious the things he has are. But..."

Entrusted to the beggars of the Beggars' Sect, Jin Sohyun began to live a life even more beggar-like than a beggar for a week.

Not washing because it was a hassle was a given, he didn't change his clothes, and he only begged once every three days.

Moreover, Jin Sohyun discovered the principle of finding peace in poverty and became even lazier than before.

According to the bodyguard who watched over him, Jin Sohyun slept under the sun during the day and slept under the moonlight at night.

The title he earned from this was none other than the Slothful Young Master.

"Keke! The boy has already earned a title without ever setting foot in the martial world."

"This is not something to be happy about! I was so worried he'd declare he wanted to become a beggar that I hastily brought him back... and now he says he needs to rest after suffering outside and hasn't come out of his room for over a month."

Soon, Jin Seomok clasped his hands together and pleaded.

"Please, help my son!"

At Jin Seomok's desperate plea, the old man fell into thought for a moment.

The old man's name was Kang Cheon.

A master of the Flying Sword Technique, which he had independently developed and advanced.

He had created the Flying Heaven Ten Swords, a martial art using the Flying Sword Technique, and had finally reached the point of completing its final stage, Heavenly Bestowal.

Now, Kang Cheon's last wish was to find a disciple with outstanding talent to carry on his martial arts.

And for that, he needed Jin Seomok's wealth and connections.

'I guess I'll just have to unblock some of his clogged meridians.'

Hiding his true intentions, Kang Cheon spoke in a deliberately serious voice.

"Hmm... Since you, my old friend, put it that way, I have no choice. I will look after your son for a while."

"R-Really!?"

"Indeed."

"Thank you! Yonghu!"

"Yes, Family Head!"

When Mu Yonghu appeared like the wind, Jin Seomok ordered.

"Go and bring Sohyun. He will likely refuse to leave his room, so it's fine to drag him out by force."

"Understood."

Mu Yonghu immediately ran like the wind and reached Jin Sohyun's quarters.

The first person to greet Mu Yonghu was Siu.

"Oh? Uncle Mu!"

"Siu. Is the Young Master inside?"

"Yes, but the Young Master is very sick."

Mu Yonghu's steps, which were about to head inside, came to a halt.

"Sick?"

"Yes! It's like he's caught a terrible cold... His body is burning with fever, and he keeps coughing non-stop! Cough! Cough!"

At Siu's wholehearted reenactment, Mu Yonghu hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

"Hooo. Siu. This is for your Young Master's own good. So speak honestly."

"I'm always honest. So please believe me. The Young Master is really sick."

Mu Yonghu admired Siu's loyalty, but he didn't have time to dawdle like this.

"I hear there's talk that the Family Head is doubling the performance bonus this month..."

At Mu Yonghu's mutter about the performance bonus, the look in Siu's eyes changed.

"Is that reliable information?"

"Have you already forgotten who I am?"

"I will lead the way!"

Siu took the lead and guided Mu Yonghu.

As they entered the inner part of the quarters, Jin Sohyun, as if he had been waiting, greeted Mu Yonghu with a flushed face, coughing.

"Uncle Mu... Cough! Don't come close... I'm not feeling well..."

"I heard everything from Siu. Stop faking it and come out."

At those words, like a bolt from the blue, Jin Sohyun glared at Siu.

Under Jin Sohyun's heated gaze, Siu blushed shyly and avoided his eyes.

'I'm sorry, Young Master. But you're not the one who pays my monthly salary.'

Jin Sohyun had to tremble with a sense of betrayal from someone he had trusted.

"You... you... how could you do this to me...!"

"You should hurry and take him. You said you don't have time."

At Siu's urging, Mu Yonghu approached the bed.

"Let's go, Young Master."

"Uncle Mu! I'm telling you, I'm really sick!"

"Yes, I understand."

"Eek!"

When Jin Sohyun hid by pulling the blanket over himself, Mu Yonghu picked him up, blanket and all.

"I'll put in a good word for you with the Family Head."

"Yes!"

As Siu gave a thumbs-up, Mu Yonghu nodded and ran off like the wind, just as he had arrived.

"You—trai—tor—!"

Jin Sohyun's voice could be heard from the receding Mu Yonghu, but Siu didn't hear it. No, she chose not to.

"Hehe... Should I buy some clothes with this bonus?"

Siu fiddled with her old cotton clothes.

***

Mu Yonghu, who had run like the wind, lifted the blanket and pulled Jin Sohyun out from within.

"Keuk—!"

Jin Sohyun, who collapsed limply like an old frog, sniffled and said.

"If I die, it'll be because of you, Uncle Mu."

"Yes, yes, do as you please."

Realizing he had no more room to retreat, Jin Sohyun dusted himself off and entered the reception room.

In the reception room, his father, Jin Seomok, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, was chatting with an old man in simple attire.

"You called for me, Father."

"Come in. Elder, this child is my first son, Jin Sohyun."

When Jin Seomok called the old man 'Elder,' Jin Sohyun realized he was no ordinary person.

"A pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Sohyun of the Jin Family."

As Jin Sohyun greeted him with proper etiquette, the old man laughed heartily.

"This old man is called Kang Cheon. So you're the lazy bum of the Jin Family."

"Haha..."

As Jin Sohyun scratched his head in embarrassment, old flakes of dead skin rained down from his hair.

"Oh?"

At the filthy sight, Jin Seomok couldn't bear to lift his head.

Kang Cheon laughed heartily but had to struggle to hide his pathetic impression of Jin Sohyun.

In any case, Kang Cheon, who needed money to wander the Central Plains in search of a talented disciple, rolled up his sleeves to earn his travel expenses.

"Let me examine Sohyun's body for a moment. If his blocked meridians are cleared, his laziness might be cured as well."

"I'll be in your care."

Jin Sohyun was anxious, but with Jin Seomok watching, he had no choice but to offer his wrist to Kang Cheon.

Kang Cheon lightly placed his fingers on Jin Sohyun's wrist.

After examining Jin Sohyun's pulse for a moment, Kang Cheon's eyes flew open.

"This is...!"

As he shouted in alarm, Jin Seomok was even more startled.

"I-Is there something wrong with Sohyun's body?"

Kang Cheon, who was looking Jin Sohyun up and down as if he couldn't believe it, shot up from his seat with the speed of a lightning bolt.

"This child... I will take him as my disciple!"

"What!?"

"What!?"

At Kang Cheon's unexpected declaration, the Jin father and son could only blink.

"Are you... serious?"

"Yes!"

Unlike the dumbfounded Jin father and son, a thoroughly excited Kang Cheon placed both hands on Jin Sohyun's shoulders and said.

"I will make you the disciple of this great Kang Cheon!"

At the proposal from Kang Cheon, the Flying Sword Hero, one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, Jin Sohyun's face turned deathly pale.

"I refuse!"

(End of Chapter)