The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 255

He is surprisingly ordinary.

As one of China’s top-ranked National Treasures and an official of Black Dragon Guild, Chen Dian’s information networks were extensive.

Kang Jae-Hyeok...

He’d heard this boy’s natural talent was extraordinary, with rumors circulating that he was even the second coming of the Yaksha.

And indeed, he seemed to have few opponents in Korea.

He’d killed the top brass of Korea’s player Association as well as executed a famous general, yet despite these bloody purges, the government did nothing to stop him.

Chen Dian was meticulous by nature, and Jae-Hyeok’s reputation preceded him—so naturally, when he’d learned that Jae-Hyeok, not Jiang Lei, walked out of the Twilight Kingdom gate, Chen Dian had grown cautious.

But upon meeting Jae-Hyeok in person, Chen Dian knew immediately that he had overthought.

What “second coming of the Yaksha”?

Upon sweeping his senses over Jae-Hyeok, he found the boy’s aura to be only slightly above average. Perhaps this was what they called “talent” in Korea, but by China’s standards, Jae-Hyeok clearly a bottom-tier talent.

Chen Dian inwardly sneered.

I thought the rumors were only slightly exaggerated. What a joke. This brat’s emergence from the Twilight Kingdom must’ve really been a stroke of luck.

Gates were intrinsically full of variables; that was even true of well-explored gates, let alone a new gate like the Twilight Kingdom.

Amid such twists and turns, there were times when luck prevailed over skill in determining victory and defeat. Rather than skill, it seemed Kang Jae-Hyeok was an exemplar of the “lucky fool” archetype.

Chen Dian ran a hand through his hair and smirked. “You’re treating your guest like a thief. Korean etiquette is really something else.”

“Oh? I don’t recall inviting you. In China, are those who infiltrate your estate in the middle of the night called ‘guests’? That’s quite the culture shock.”

“Hmph. If I were really a thief, your head would’ve already rolled.”

Chen Dian narrowed his eyes and unleashed his aura.

Mana rushed from Chen Dian in every direction. His reserves were oceanic, quickly filling the entire mansion.

The suffocating pressure caused the windows to vibrate and the lights to flicker.

Several breaths later, dozens of youths scampered up the basement stairs leading to the underground arena.

“What’s going on?”

They’d been training under Kang Hyeon-Ah all evening and were sweaty and exhausted. However, with their energies roused, their senses were particularly sharp; they sensed at a glance Chen Dian’s towering aura and stepped back in shock.

Chen Dian spread his arms, as if to show that he was unarmed, and said, “In the first place, would anyone try to steal from a mansion filled with dozens of loud kids?”

Outwardly, Chen Dian appeared perfectly calm, but inwardly he was panicking.

The granddaughter of the Bow Saint... Why is that child here?

It was strange enough to find dozens of youths training in the middle of the night within the fallen Kang family’s manor. But what really threw Chen Dian through a loop was the age and relative talent of each, not to mention that he recognized one of them as the Bow Saint’s daughter.

What was her name again... Jang Yeon-Ju was it?

The Bow Saint’s reputation carried weight even in China. Not even Chen Dian dared bear the blame for harming that old man’s granddaughter.

Chen Dian’s expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts, though inwardly, he was rather annoyed. Tsk. I guess I won’t be capturing and torturing Kang Jae-Hyeok tonight.

“If you’re not here to steal, then what is your business?” Jae-Hyeok asked in a noticeably softer tone.

Sensing fear, Chen Dian’s disdain returned to the forefront of his thoughts.

Hmph. Seems this brat finally realizes the seriousness of his situation. I guess he was slow to sense my aura.

Chen Dian was again reminded of the praises being sung about this boy, and he couldn’t help but faintly chuckle.

The term “genius” really was a loose term. So-called geniuses appeared all over the world, but most of them were nothing more than ordinary youths who’d stumbled across one or two overnight opportunities.

The Yaksha’s son was clearly such an example—a big fish in a little pond, enjoying the praise of his countrymen and acting arrogantly.

Chen Dian had seen too many just like Jae-Hyeok, all of them insufferable. The only redeeming quality was that Jae-Hyeok, this little fish, was quick to learn fear with a shark in his waters.

Chen Dian coughed into his fist to hide his smile. With Jang Yeon-Ju present, it was best to avoid offending Jae-Hyeok unnecessarily.

Mustering a sincere tone, he said, “You might not know, but I have a deep connection with the Yaksha. Since I’m in town for work, I hoped to pay him a visit.”

“Visit him? In the middle of the night? And without notifying my butler or me first?”

“Well, I’d heard the Kangs fell from grace. The house looked like it might be unoccupied from the outside, which is why I took it upon myself to cross the wall.”

“Is that right?” By this point, one of Jae-Hyeok’s eyebrows had climbed past his bangs. “But if you wished to visit my father, then you entered on the assumption that my estate was not vacant. Moreover, I don’t recall hearing you knock?”

“That...”

Chen Dian fell silent in embarrassment, which was quickly followed by a spike of anger. This brat dared to trap him, the Phoenix, in word games. It was simply absurd. Chen Dian was sorely tempted to erase this flimsy brat where he stood.

No, Chen Dian, you’re above losing your composure over a nobody brat. Thinking as much, Chen Dian took several slow, deep breaths, and as he did, he soon found his attention lingering on the group of boys and girls clustered around the mouth of the stairs.

What were so many young talents doing here?

Especially the Bow Saint’s granddaughter. It was the middle of the night; didn’t she have anything better to do than loiter around in someone else's manor?

Don’t tell me...

Chen Dian’s stomach dropped. He turned back to Jae-Hyeok and found that Jae-Hyeok’s eyes were narrowed in pleasure.

“Are you really my father’s friend?”

He knew I would come, so he’s keeping witnesses in his manor.

As soon as the thought formed, Chen Dian recognized the truth of it. Indeed, everything so far had been too coincidental. It seemed he’d been rash in his judgment of Jae-Hyeok.

Though Jae-Hyeok hadn’t inherited his father’s strength, he was clearly skilled in strategy. In many ways, such people were even more dangerous than high-stat players. After all, who wasn’t vulnerable to a dagger in the back, or a push when least expected?

He must’ve plotted against Jiang Lei. Even worse... he’d only spent three days inside the gate, but in that time he’d managed to influence Lou Xin into matching his testimony.

Who was Lou Xin?

Everyone in China knew.

She, the descendant of Hero Hao, was infamously stubborn.

For her to bow to Kang Jae-Hyeok’s will... He must’ve found some way to blackmail or manipulate her.

For the first time, Chen Dian felt a chill looking at Jae-Hyeok. He imagined Jae-Hyeok trailing innocently at the back of Jiang Lei’s group, only to deliberately stir up infighting or sabotage their plans at key moments, leading Jiang Lei and the others to self-destruction, while simultaneously turning Lou Xin to his side.

He can’t be left alive.

For insidious players like Jae-Hyeok, the threat they posed was a multiple of their intelligence. If Jae-Hyeok were ever allowed to transcend, Chen Dian knew he might well pose a greater threat than the Yaksha.

At that thought, Chen Dian’s intent to kill crystallized. Outwardly, however, he smiled and stepped back.

“Well, I suppose you’re right. I acted on a whim and hadn’t quite thought things through properly. I apologize for any offense. I will return for now and make a proper visit next time.”

Of course, every word from Chen Dian’s mouth was a lie. He had no intention of retreating.

He would pretend to leave, looping around and jumping the outer wall. Then, he only needed to hide in a corner of the garden. Once all the other kids left the mansion or fell asleep, he’d strike.

The kids were sure to make statements against him once Jae-Hyeok’s death was discovered, but so what?

Was he, the Phoenix, someone Korea’s police would dare to slander without clear proof?

No, the only outcome would be them covering up the case or finding a scapegoat. Either way, it had nothing to do with him.

Chen Dian snorted and prepared to walk out the front door.

“Wow. Look at him. He broke into someone else’s house illegally at this late hour and is still acting so arrogant.”

“How disgusting. I guess apologizing isn’t part of China’s culture.”

“I thought China had thousands of years of culture. Is this what it amounts to?”

Cheon Hye-Ji and Roh Jun-Yeop whispered quietly, but it was like thunderclaps in Chen Dian’s transcendent ears.

How dare these backwater brats...

Veins bulged in the whites of Chen Dian’s eyes, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

Should I kill them both as a bonus?

The group of youths had their backs to Chen Dian and were none the wiser to Chen Dian’s ferocious gaze, which only lasted a moment.

Jae-Hyeok, however, saw it clearly.

***

“......”

Chen Dian sat in the garden by the Kang mansion. His figure melded with the shadows, and his aura blended perfectly with the surrounding bushes.

Insects landed on his shoulders and chirped as if serenading him.

In fact, this much was nothing for Chen Dian. He’d long entered the Assimilation realm of mana mastery and was only a half-step from the Intrinsic Breath realm.

What’s more, lately, he’d sensed a marked improvement in his rate of attuning to his surroundings—with his mana feeling especially light and responsive.

At this rate, it won’t be long.

Once his mana mastery broke into the realm of Intrinsic Breath, he would achieve the perfected Natural State spoken of only in legends.[1]

By then, his power would soar—growing day and night, breath by breath.

A thrill arose within Chen Dian before he quickly controlled himself.

Anyway, there’s no need to rush. My mastery over mana assimilation is already a trump card in itself. Not even other National Treasures can sense me in this like this, let alone these brats.

Thinking as much, Chen Dian readjusted himself in the bushes and prepared for the long haul.

Even if the kids didn’t leave tonight, even if they stayed up all night—so what?

He could wait.

If not tonight, then it would be tomorrow. If it wasn’t tomorrow, then it would be the day after...

The moment Jae-Hyeok found himself alone, Chen Dian would be ready. He would strike divine lightning.

In the meantime...

Chen Dian closed his eyes and focused inward—studying the flow of his mana, striving for enlightenment into the ephemeral Instrinsic Breath realm.

He, the Phoenix, never stopped, never stagnated. There was only progress.

Brat Kang, this is what true talent looks like.

An Ageless body?

He’d achieved it.

Power that ranked among the top in China?

He had that.

Mastery over the legendary One with Nature state?

Easy.

Soon, even the miraculous realm of Intrinsic Breath would be within his grasp.

Chen Dian could feel it.

I’m almost there.

He was close now.

Close to true perfection.

He most looked forward to laying Kang Jae-Hyeok’s corpse at the foot of the Yaksha’s bed before spitting on the Yaksha. At that time, even his heart would reach a perfect state.

If he hadn’t already, he was sure to achieve Intrinsic Breath by then. After all, the more balanced one’s mind, body, and heart, the more brightly one’s innate talent shone.

Chen Dian was lost in his own fantasies when his eyes abruptly snapped open.

Following the sound footsteps, Jae-Hyeok stopped along the garden trail and smiled toward the bushes.

“There you are. I was on my way back from checking the CCTV; as expected of a thief, there wasn’t a single trace of you anywhere. I won’t lie, I was worried that I’d lost your trail. Thankfully, it seems the heavens are blessing me.”

Chen Dian frowned. He understood the implication of Jae-Hyeok’s words and slowly stood.

“Brat, do you really think you can kill me?”

“Of course.”

The Phoenix was one of China’s top National Treasures. Naturally, Jae-Hyeok had no intention of letting him go.

The cow had come to the door, so he might as well eat.

“If I missed the chance to kill a big shot like you, I’d spend the rest of my life regretting it.”

Jae-Hyeok planned to return to Reinhardt before the end of the summer. But he couldn’t do so without first settling affairs at home.

In Jae-Hyeok’s mind, the faster he chewed through the Chinese investigation team, the faster he could return to exploring Reinhardt, so he was of course happy about Chen Dian’s arrival tonight.

“Ignorant kid.”

Chen Dian saw no reason to talk to Jae-Hyeok any longer.

With an exaggerated swish of his sleeve, a fan appeared in his hand, and with another swish, a cone of flames swept through the garden, expanding into the shape of a phoenix unfurling its wings as it shot toward Jae-Hyeok at supersonic speed.

Flames filled Chen Dian’s vision. He clicked his tongue.

Damn. I may have gone overboard. There probably isn’t anything left.

He couldn’t see Jae-Hyeok. Just then, however, he sensed an aura that he recognized as belonging to Jae-Hyeok. Chen Dian’s eyebrows jumped in surprise.

That surprise quickly turned to shock, and before long, Chen Dian’s eyes were bulging.

“What the hell...”

Jae-Hyeok’s originally mundane aura erupted like a volcano, surging into the skies. The flames curling from the fire phoenix danced widely in the wind. An instant later, the phoenix came in twain, parting to reveal Jae-Hyeok, sword drawn. His hair flew about widely, but his pale skin was pristine, with not a single burn.

[Devoted to Flames.

A knight who burned his own body for the things he had to protect.

* Fire resistance and fire affinity are both increased by 20%. Effect increases when burned.]

Jae-Hyeok’s level of fire resistance was rarely seen.

But rather than that, Chen Dian was stunned by Jae-Hyeok’s towering aura.

Jae-Hyeok’s sword returned to its sheath with a click, and only then did Chen Dian awaken to the situation.

“You... You sly bastard! You even learned a technique to hide your power!”

Any player could bottle up their mana in their dantians, making themselves appear no different from an ordinary person. But it should’ve been impossible to partially conceal one’s aura. After all, the resting potency and rate of mana cycling through the body were intrinsic qualities that increased according to a player’s level and stats.

It should’ve been impossible, and yet Jae-Hyeok had managed to do it.

Using his family’s mana control technique, he’d made the impossible possible by splitting his mana flow and constantly sequestering a portion.

Space seemed to shrink as Jae-Hyeok appeared before him like lightning.

Best of all, this concealing technique had the added benefit of priming Jae-Hyeok for an explosive surprise attack.

1. Apparently, the Natural State is “spoken of only in legends.” This may be true, or the author may be exaggerating—or perhaps Chen Dian is simply ignorant of other National Treasures’ achievements... Basically, take this wordage with a grain of salt. I wouldn’t put it past the author to later reveal that other National Treasures have achieved it. ☜