The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

Geumseong Manor.

If the Jin Family held the commercial rights of Shanxi, the place that held the financial power was Geumseong Manor.

Naturally, since they had a close relationship with the merchant family, the Jin Family, the news that Do Eultae's one and only son, Do Yeong, had become a vegetable was also delivered to the Jin Family.

"To think his one and only son has become a vegetable... such a misfortune..."

"It's truly a regrettable thing. To think something like this would happen when we were busy with the matter of the Doheo Merchant Group and the Green Forest."

Yu Seoheung swept her hair back with a regretful face, and Jin Seomok nodded with a mournful expression.

Since they had also almost lost their son, Jin Sohyun, recently, they could understand Do Eultae's feelings to some extent.

"How bad must it have been for the sorrow of losing a child to be called the sorrow of a severed intestine. I cannot dare to fathom Elder Do's grief."

"Shouldn't we go and visit him?"

"I have already sent a letter. But since the situation is what it is, it seems Elder Do needs some time. So for now, I have told him to contact me anytime if he needs help."

"You did well, my dear."

"There is not much I can do for him."

Jin Seomok, as a fellow parent, was quite disappointed that he could not help Do Eultae.

While the two were grieving over the tragedy of Geumseong Manor, Siu was moving busily on one side of the Jin Family.

"Young Master! Are you serious?"

"It'll be hard, right?"

As Jin Sohyun hesitated a little, Siu grabbed his hand with both of her hands and shook her head.

"No. The beginning is always hard. You can do it, Young Master!"

"Haa... alright. Let's give it a try."

"Yes!!"

Siu moved faster than ever before, and in the process, she discovered the Silver Dragon Plaque placed on the table.

"Aigoo... Young Master... you left it here so that this Siu could take it comfortably."

Although there was not a single word about the Silver Dragon Plaque, Siu naturally took the Silver Dragon Plaque and put it in her bosom.

"I-I'm just keeping it this time too."

Of course, with an excuse to herself.

Siu, who had hurriedly finished her preparations, headed to the main gate of the estate with Jin Sohyun.

At the busy main gate, which had no time to close, numerous merchants were coming and going as always.

"I really can't do it."

"Young Master! You can't give up after coming this far!"

At Siu's encouragement, Jin Sohyun lifted his right foot with a trembling heart.

Gulp—!

Swallowing dryly, Jin Sohyun bit his lip.

"Heup!"

As Jin Sohyun's right foot finally passed through the main gate of the estate, Siu smiled brightly and clapped her hands.

"You've already succeeded by half!"

"Siu... it's too hard."

"No! You can do it, Young Master."

Amidst Siu's continued encouragement, Jin Sohyun lifted his left foot, which had not yet passed the main gate, and placed it next to his right foot.

Finally, Jin Sohyun's body had completely left the estate.

And that, by his own will.

"Haaaah—!"

Jin Sohyun's face, who had come out of the estate, turned black.

"The air is heavy..."

Jin Sohyun, who had been fine even in the pressure of the qi emitted by the peak masters, felt the world he had come out to on his own to be so heavy.

Until now, he had been forcibly taken out of the family estate, but today was different.

"It takes about half a shichen on foot from the family estate to Mr. Yu's place. I'll go get a carriage quickly."

"Hurry... hurry and bring it, Siu."

"Yes!"

Before Jin Sohyun, who had barely come out of the family estate, could say let's go back, Siu brought a two-horse carriage that she had arranged in advance.

Jin Sohyun hurriedly got into the carriage.

At the sight of Jin Sohyun, who was sitting in the carriage and sweating coldly, Siu asked with curiosity.

"But Young Master. Couldn't you have just come out in a carriage in the first place?"

"If I had done that, I would have turned the carriage around."

"You showed your will!"

"That's right."

"That's cool, Young Master! Let's go quickly."

The two-horse carriage ran quickly along the main road.

This was because, unlike the Jin Family, which was located in the center of the city, Mr. Yu's fruit farm had to be reached by going to the far outskirts.

"Kuuu..."

The two-horse carriage, carrying the sleeping Jin Sohyun, ran busily along the main road.

***

"Young Master! We've arrived."

"Mmm... already?"

Jin Sohyun, who had been woken up by Siu's voice, stretched and got out of the carriage.

In front of him was a large field, and this was Mr. Yu's farm.

The farm, which would have originally been bustling with numerous people for fruit farming, was desolate and barren.

The apple trees, which had not received the farmer's touch, were either eaten by insects or had passed their harvest time and were rolling on the ground.

It was a truly miserable sight.

"Th-This precious..."

Jin Sohyun's heart ached greatly.

These were apples that would have originally entered Jin Sohyun's mouth and would have pleased him with their sweet juice.

"You were not children who were meant to meet such a fate."

A middle-aged man appeared in front of Jin Sohyun, who was lamenting the lonely end of the apples.

"You are..."

"Mister Yu!? It's me, Sohyun."

"As expected... it's Young Master Jin."

Yu Dongyeop, whom he had reunited with for the first time since he was very young, had his hair turned white, and his wrinkles had deepened.

Moreover, the shadows under his eyes, his emaciated skin, and his dirt-stained clothes showed how much he had suffered.

"What on earth happened?"

"You must have heard the news."

"Please speak comfortably."

"Alright. Let's go inside first."

Jin Sohyun, who had followed Yu Dongyeop into a small farmhouse built next to the farm, sat on an empty chair with Siu.

"You've come a long way... but I don't have much to offer you."

"It's alright."

Although he should have offered at least some tea, Yu Dongyeop realized that there was nothing left in the farmhouse and had a lonely expression.

"I'm sorry to show you such a sight."

"No. More than that..."

As Jin Sohyun trailed off, Yu Dongyeop nodded.

"Seobi is currently imprisoned at Geumseong Manor. I wanted him to be investigated by the authorities... but the manor head won't allow it."

In Shanxi, the influence of Geumseong Manor was as powerful as that of the Jin Family.

Naturally, the authorities, who had a close relationship with the manor, could not go against the will of the manor head, Do Eultae.

"Did you say the son of Geumseong Manor has become a vegetable?"

"Yes. The manor head's son, Do Yeong, was a very kind child. And he admired martial artists. So the manor head entrusted his son to a famous sect in Shaanxi."

As befitting the son of a wealthy family, Do Yeong had entered the Jongnam Sect as a secular disciple and had learned martial arts.

Unlike other secular disciples, Do Yeong had an outstanding talent for martial arts, and due to the devotion of Do Eultae, who doted on his son, he was able to possess a large amount of internal energy that did not suit his age, with precious spiritual herbs and inner cores.

"He was a child with great expectations even in the Jongnam Sect."

The incident had occurred on the day Do Yeong had returned home from the Jongnam Sect after a long time.

"That day... if I hadn't sent Seobi... yes... if I had..."

Tears like horse dung dripped from Yu Dongyeop's deeply sunken two eyes.

"Mister..."

Siu took out a handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to Yu Dongyeop.

"Thank you."

While he was wiping his tears, Jin Sohyun asked carefully.

"But why is Seobi imprisoned? What did that child do wrong?"

"I didn't understand either, so I asked the manor head. According to them, it seems Seobi touched Do Yeong while he was performing qi circulation. Since that child had never learned any martial arts... he didn't know that he should never be touched while performing qi circulation."

"But don't people usually stand guard while performing qi circulation?"

At Siu's question, Yu Dongyeop's two hands trembled anxiously.

"I wonder about that too. But since Seobi hasn't said a word since that day, the misunderstanding has deepened."

"Why isn't Seobi saying anything?"

"I don't know that either. I wonder if he still doesn't understand the situation he's in..."

Yu Dongyeop covered his face with both hands and cried silently.

His one and only son had been imprisoned for several weeks already, but there was nothing he, as a father, could do.

"I've shown you an unsightly side after seeing you for the first time in a long time."

Jin Sohyun did not know what to say to comfort Yu Dongyeop.

For now, he could only give him time to compose himself.

"Ah, wait a moment. Since you've come a long way, I'll get you some fruit."

As Yu Dongyeop left for the warehouse to get some fruit, Jin Sohyun and Siu looked at each other.

"The situation is more serious than I thought."

"Indeed."

"Why isn't Seobi saying anything? Did that child really make the son of Geumseong Manor a vegetable?"

As Jin Sohyun shrugged, Siu asked in surprise.

"If someone touches you while you're doing that qi... thing, do you become a vegetable too, Young Master?"

"No."

Jin Sohyun did not understand that part.

'The fact that he became a vegetable, does it mean he fell into qi deviation? Why?'

He had spent most of his time sleeping while performing qi circulation, and there were many times when his masters would come and shake the sleeping Jin Sohyun awake.

Nevertheless, Jin Sohyun had never once fallen into qi deviation.

This was because Jin Sohyun's constitution was peculiar, but Jin Sohyun, who did not know this, felt frustrated.

'At this rate, Mr. Yu might lose his one and only son.'

The enraged manor head of Geumseong Manor would not let Yu Seobi go meekly.

"He might even be branded as a slave and have to do hard labor at Geumseong Manor for the rest of his life."

As Siu muttered weakly, as if she had read Jin Sohyun's thoughts, Jin Sohyun, who had made up his mind, shot up.

"There's no other way."

"What? What are you going to do?"

As Siu also stood up, Yu Dongyeop, who had just come back from the warehouse with fruit, returned.

"Are you going back to the family estate? Take this with you too. There isn't much, but I've picked only the best ones."

"Let's go together."

"Go together? Where?"

As Yu Dongyeop had a puzzled face, Jin Sohyun opened the closed door of the farmhouse and said.

"Geumseong Manor."

***

Yu Dongyeop, who had come with Jin Sohyun in the two-horse carriage, fiddled with his clothes, which were covered in dirt.

"To think I have to ride in such a precious carriage with these clothes... I'd rather go and change my clothes."

"It's alright."

"But..."

"Let's go quickly. You have to go and see Seobi."

At Jin Sohyun's words to go and see his son, Yu Dongyeop hurriedly got on the carriage.

"Hmm?"

Jin Sohyun, who was about to get on the carriage, tilted his head and looked at the forest.

"What's wrong?"

At Siu's question, Jin Sohyun looked at the forest blankly without a word and then tilted his head.

"Is it nothing?"

"What?"

"No, it's just... it felt like someone was there. You go in first, Siu."

"Yes!"

As Siu got on the carriage, Jin Sohyun checked the forest one last time and then got on the carriage.

As the two-horse carriage carrying the three people slowly moved along the main road, ten black-clad men who had been watching it from afar revealed themselves from the darkness.

"Don't tell me the Goshawk saw us?"

"There is nothing we can be certain of yet."

The assassins of the Silver Signpost watched the receding two-horse carriage.

There was their target, the Goshawk. That is, Jin Sohyun.

'From what we have found out, Jin Sohyun is the one and only disciple of the Flying Sword Hero, and he learned martial arts under him for only 6 years.'

No matter how outstanding his talent was, he could not escape being a third-rate martial artist with only 6 years.

But Jin Sohyun had definitely looked at the forest where the assassins of the Silver Signpost were hiding.

This meant that Jin Sohyun's level might be higher than they thought.

'Is our information wrong?'

Am'o, who was leading the assassins of the Silver Signpost, recalled the words the Pavilion Master had said.

—The Heretic's Path Alliance has never once failed in executing Bud Crushing. But where Jin Sohyun is, Bud Crushing has never succeeded. Once can be a coincidence, but twice is not a coincidence. Keep in mind. The opponent is a special target... for whom the Grand Commander of the Heretic's Path Alliance, Mu Yu, has personally ordered the assassination.

As per the Pavilion Master's teachings, Am'o did not rashly attempt the assassination.

He was slowly aiming for Jin Sohyun, taking his time.

"Assassinate the Goshawk before he returns to his nest."

(End of Chapter)