My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 103

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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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Chapter 103. A Father’s Gift
The Martial World was upended once again.
Youling Shenjun, one of the Ten Great Masters.
He had been killed by a mysterious master.
His entire Youling Palace with him.
Through his death, all the terrible and vile deeds he had orchestrated behind the scenes at the Underground Arena were laid bare for the world to see.
And the identities of those who had bankrolled that arena, those who had savored its grotesque slaughter, were also revealed.
The Guild Master of the Five Dragon Guild, the Sect Leader of the Iron Sword Sect, the Crown Prince of the Jin Clan—wealthy figures from all walks of life, regardless of faction, had sponsored this massacre.
The entire Central Plains was shaken by the misdeeds of Youling Shenjun and these others.
And they trembled.
At the emergence of another master.
A master whose name had never been known.
People called him the Mysterious Nameless Master.
***
“What did you say?”
It was an extraordinarily lavish chamber.
A room adorned with gold and jewels so extravagantly that even the wealthiest merchant or noble house would not dare lift their eyes to meet it.
Yet from within this splendor came a sharp, irritable voice.
“Youling Shenjun is dead? Killed by some master we’ve never even heard of before?”
Seated with arrogant ease upon a massive dragon-carved chair was a man with a severe, piercing visage.
Beside him stood a great spear adorned with five-colored cords, which drew the eye irresistibly.
The man’s eyes widened at his subordinate’s report.
“Yes, so it appears.”
Bang!
The man struck the armrest of his chair.
His teeth ground together in fury.
It was not Youling Shenjun’s death that enraged him.
It was knowing why Youling Shenjun had died.
“Then that nameless bastard took the Guardian Mirror, didn’t he?”
“The details require further investigation, but it does seem highly probable.”
“How dare he lay hands on something I have set my eyes upon!”
In that instant, the air of the chamber transformed.
The quiet air trembled as if shaken by his wrath.
The subordinate standing before him went ashen with terror.
And how could it be otherwise? Who in all the Central Plains could fail to fear this man?
Chang Gui, one of the Twelve Supremes.
Though he nominally upheld the Neutral Path, those who truly knew him feared him far more than they feared the Evil Sects or the Demonic Sect itself.
“Nameless, is it? I shall remember that name.”
Chang Gui’s eyes gleamed with an uncanny light.
***
“Huh?”
Jin So-baek’s jaw fell slack.
Tea spilled from the pot, overflowing the cup and cascading onto the table below.
Yeo Un-hwi shifted his legs slightly to avoid the falling liquid.
With a start, Jin So-baek hastily set down the pot and grabbed a cloth from somewhere nearby, tossing it carelessly onto the table.
At Yeo Un-hwi’s meaningful glance asking if he should finish wiping, Jin So-baek waved his hand dismissively.
That could be cleaned up later.
That wasn’t what mattered now.
Jin So-baek pulled over a chair and sat down close beside him.
“So, so you’re saying that mysterious master who defeated one of the Ten Great Masters is actually…?”
“Ah, yes. That’s what they seem to be calling me.”
Jin So-baek’s jaw fell open again.
He was speechless.
How could he speak of it so casually, as if it were nothing?
Jin So-baek recalled what had happened a few days prior.
When Yeo Un-hwi had spoken the absurd words about taking the Guardian Mirror from Youling Shenjun, it was Jin So-baek who had grabbed his sleeve and held him back.
No matter how outstanding Yeo Un-hwi’s martial arts were, Youling Shenjun was counted among the Ten Great Masters.
At best it was throwing one’s life away; at worst it was courting a dog’s death—how could he not have tried to stop him?
The man was the Hao Wen’s most valued patron, after all.
But seeing as Yeo Un-hwi had ignored him completely and left anyway, Jin So-baek had resigned himself to the thought that this would be their last meeting.
He had appeared suddenly and set Jin So-baek’s mind at ease—’The fool managed not to throw his life away pointlessly, and my warning actually did some good!’—but only for a moment. What Yeo Un-hwi placed into his hands was nothing other than,
‘The Guardian Mirror! A Guardian Mirror, of all things!’
Jin So-baek gazed once more at the small mirror resting in Yeo Un-hwi’s palm.
Ha. Hahaha.
He genuinely could not help but laugh bitterly at the absurdity of it all.
“But why have you brought it here? Surely you don’t mean to simply show it to me?”
“You do say amusing things, don’t you?”
“I wasn’t attempting to amuse you, I assure you.”
“Tell me everything you know about the Guardian Mirror. That’s what I’ve come to hear.”
“Well, that shouldn’t be difficult at all.”
Between these brief exchanges, Jin So-baek carefully tucked the mirror into his robes and began to share every scrap of information he possessed about the Guardian Mirror.
From the era when it first appeared, through its successive owners, the conflicts and wars it had sparked, the legends intertwined with it—everything.
And finally, even the method of its use.
After listening to this rather lengthy exposition, Yeo Un-hwi fell into contemplation.
It had been good enough to retrieve the Guardian Mirror without hesitation.
But what came after was the real problem.
On the smaller scale, there was the question of how Yul-i could keep it on her person without it slipping away; on the larger scale, there was the possibility that the Guardian Mirror itself might invite all manner of conflict and strife upon her.
Whether it was the maker’s whim or something else entirely.
The Guardian Mirror was only the size of a palm, yet it bore a remarkably elegant and ornate appearance.
If Yul-i were to display it, there was no way to rule out the possibility that someone with an interest in the Guardian Mirror might recognize it.
For instance, Chang Gui, who had tried to kill Youling Shenjun.
Once the Guardian Mirror was activated, no one who came would be able to harm Yul-i—yet it was crucial that no one learned of her possession before that moment ever came.
What was the solution?
He hesitated to remove the ornamental casing for fear of damaging the mirror itself; it was too awkwardly sized for Yul-i to carry constantly in her robes, and the decorative styling hardly befitted her age.
And then, in that very moment,
as Yeo Un-hwi examined the Guardian Mirror intently, one of his eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Hmm?”
It was the expression of someone who had discovered something.
In the next instant,
Hummmmm—
Crackle-crackle!
As Yeo Un-hwi channeled his energy into the Guardian Mirror, it trembled with a low hum, then shattered in a cascade of fragments, crumbling to dust.
In his palm lay only a single bead-shaped piece of glass.
Jin So-baek’s eyes widened as if they might burst from his skull.
He too had felt the energy flowing from Yeo Un-hwi into the Guardian Mirror.
“What—what—what—what are you doing?! Ahhh! You’ve shattered the Guardian Mirror! We went through so much trouble to obtain it!”
“Hmm? But I’m the one who obtained it, aren’t I?”
“But still! One of the Seven Great Divine Treasures, no less!”
Jin So-baek tore at his hair and writhed in distress.
Yet Yeo Un-hwi, the very architect of this calamity, remained utterly composed.
He brushed the accumulated dust from his hands and lifted the remaining smooth glass bead, speaking briefly.
“This must be the true core.”
“…Pardon?”
For a moment Jin So-baek could only stare blankly, but understanding dawned on him soon after.
“The true core?”
“That’s right. All of the Guardian Mirror’s power emanates from this single fragment. Excellent. We’ll have this fashioned into a necklace. Haha.”
“Huh.”
Jin So-baek was utterly flabbergasted.
What exactly are you, anyway?
Ever since their first meeting, Jin So-baek had found himself astonished by every single action Yeo Un-hwi took.
“But if I may say,”
“Yes?”
Watching Yeo Un-hwi tuck the true core of the Guardian Mirror contentedly into his robes, Jin So-baek continued.
“You may well be the only man in all the world who would strike down one of the Ten Great Masters for the sake of his daughter’s safety.”
Every father under heaven cares for his child’s wellbeing, naturally enough.
But would most not at least pause to deliberate?
Yet here was Yeo Un-hwi, seizing upon the thought and acting without a single moment’s hesitation—and Jin So-baek regarded him with a look of weary exasperation.
It was admirable, truly. In more ways than one.
“Is that so?”
To Jin So-baek’s remark, Yeo Un-hwi laughed brightly.
You’re happy about it even though it’s not praise. Ha.
But Jin So-baek never knew.
That Yeo Un-hwi was the Blood Demon who had lost his wife and child, then painted the world red with slaughter.
He likely would never learn that truth, not for the rest of his days.
After that, Jin So-baek saw Yeo Un-hwi out with a dazed expression.
He found himself wondering if he’d just taken on a client far more terrifying than he’d ever imagined.
***
On a day when the weather was fine.
Yeo Un-hwi led Yul-i toward his private training chamber.
“Dad, why?”
“Well. Dad wants to give Yul-i a gift.”
“A gift?!”
Yul-i’s eyes brightened at once.
Charmed by her adorable expression, Yeo Un-hwi smiled softly and drew something from his robes.
It was a necklace he had fashioned by tying a knot around the Guardian Mirror.
“Here.”
Yeo Un-hwi crouched to meet Yul-i at eye level and fastened the necklace around her neck.
Soon the light, delicate beaded necklace settled into place.
“What do you think? Pretty, isn’t it?”
“Wow! Yes! So pretty! Thank you! Dad!”
At Yul-i’s radiant laughter, Yeo Un-hwi smiled broadly and spoke.
“Yul-i. From now on, Dad’s going to tell you two things, and you need to remember them well, okay?”
Delighted, Yul-i nodded vigorously.
“First, you must always wear this necklace Dad gave you around your neck. When you sleep, when you wash, when you play with friends — always.”
“Always?”
“Yes. It’s not difficult, is it?”
“No!”
“Second, whenever Yul-i feels like something is dangerous, you must call out ‘Guardian.’ Understand?”
“Why?”
“Then this necklace will protect you.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Okay! I understand.”
“So, what should you call out when you’re in danger?”
Yeo Un-hwi cupped his hand to his ear and leaned toward Yul-i, deliberately making a show of listening.
At his question—a check, really—Yul-i’s face turned mischievous, and she gave a different answer.
“Dad!”
“No, Yul-i. That’s not—”
He wanted to laugh at her charming mischief but held it back, preparing to tell her once more, when—
Whoom!
Light burst from the Guardian Mirror at Yul-i’s neck, and a Protection Barrier materialized around her.
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes widened in complete surprise.
It was one of the rare moments when Yeo Un-hwi, who had grown calm and unshaken about most things since his return, was caught off guard.
‘So it activates even without her saying “Guardian” specifically?’
This was something he hadn’t known.
Jin So-baek either hadn’t known it either or hadn’t told him.
Meanwhile,
“Wow! So beautiful!”
Yul-i looked around at the barrier surrounding her with wonder.
And for good reason—the Protection Barrier created around Yul-i was far more transparent, shimmering, and beautiful than the one Youling Shenjun had made.
Did the form of the barrier change depending on who summoned it?
Watching Yul-i jump about excitedly, Yeo Un-hwi let out a soft laugh.
He’d been startled, sure, but what did it matter?
As long as it worked when needed, that was all.
Yeo Un-hwi felt oddly pleased, perhaps a touch childish about it, but pleased nonetheless.
That the word to activate the Guardian Mirror was “Dad,” and that Yul-i’s barrier was so much more beautiful than something made by Youling Shenjun.
Soon Yeo Un-hwi finished teaching Yul-i how to use the Guardian Mirror, the method he’d learned from Jin So-baek.
And then,
“Yul-i. You mustn’t tell anyone about this necklace. It’s a secret between Dad and you alone.”
“Okay! I won’t tell anyone. Secret!”
Yul-i broke into a radiant smile, lifting a finger to her lips.
It was the day the Guardian Mirror vanished without anyone knowing—the day it fell into Yul-i’s hands.

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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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