My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 111

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 111. An Impertinent Request from the Namgung Estate?
“The Five Great Families Gathering?”
“Yes.”
Yeo Un-hwi echoed the words that Peng Sejin had just brought up.
As if asking what on earth that was.
The Five Great Families Gathering—even Yeo Un-hwi, who possessed memories from his past life, was hearing of it for the first time.
Peng Sejin opened his mouth with a small laugh.
“It’s an event that’s been carried on since the time of our patriarch two generations back. The gatherings happen every two years, ostensibly to deepen fellowship, you might say.”
But though it was called a fellowship gathering, the real reason behind such meetings was something else entirely.
And it remains so even now.
In the distant past, the Nine Sects and One Alliance and the Murim League not only represented the orthodox martial world, but wielded absolute authority over all matters great and small within the Martial World, flaunting their power without restraint.
The abuses were so severe that complaints against them were rife throughout the orthodox martial community at the time.
The Five Great Clans were no exception in their discontent.
Indeed, those organizations openly antagonized the Five Great Clans—so how could the Clans not harbor resentment?
They were displeased at the prospect of the Myeongmun families, the only powers capable of checking them, growing stronger.
Thus, the Nine Sects and One Alliance and the Murim League would nitpick and obstruct the Five Great Clans at every opportunity, seeking to diminish their influence.
But naturally, such tactics only inflamed the Five Great Clans’ resistance, and at that time, the leaders of each Estate reached a common understanding: they would need to unite their strength to survive. They decided to hold these gatherings periodically every two years.
The effects were immediate.
When the Five Great Clans, whose pride knew no bounds, began to unite beyond all expectations, the Murim League and Nine Sects and One Alliance were thrown into great turmoil.
While the gatherings themselves didn’t immediately spark significant upheaval or problems, the mere continuation of such meetings became an enormous source of unease for the Nine Sects and One Alliance and the Murim League.
After that point, rather than moving to contain or provoke the Five Great Clans, they began to refrain from carelessly interfering with them.
Everyone understood that further needless contests for dominance would result in severe losses for both sides.
Thus began the Five Great Families Gathering, which has continued to this day.
“I see.”
If it had been going on since the patriarch of two generations back, then it had quite a history.
Yet the reason Yeo Un-hwi, who possessed memories from his time as the Blood Demon, had been unaware of it was simple: before his return, he had devoted himself solely to the elimination of the wicked and had paid no attention whatsoever to such gatherings as the Five Great Clans would hold.
For that reason, this newly learned story felt somewhat unfamiliar, yet intriguing.
“However, there should be little need for you to concern yourself with it.”
Peng Sejin smiled warmly toward Yeo Un-hwi, who was nodding along.
“This time the gathering is to be held in Anhui Province, where the Namgung Estate resides, and just as always, Elder Gu Wang-pyo and the Baekmu Corps will accompany my father.”
Of course, Peng Sejin himself was attending as the Crown Prince of the Hebei Peng Clan.
Typically, such occasions saw attendance from the Clan Patriarch himself, as well as the Military Corps representing each Estate and their designated heirs.
Though the Baeklang Dae has recently made a great name for itself throughout the Central Plains, in terms of both age and standing, it was still most fitting for the Baekmu Corps, led by Elder Gu Wang-pyo, to undertake such duties.
Naturally, Yeo Un-hwi harbored no objection whatsoever.
If anything, he would have welcomed the prospect of not acquiring further bothersome responsibilities.
So then—
Yeo Un-hwi nodded in agreement.
But then something happened that lay completely outside Peng Sejin’s expectations.
***
“…What? Bringing the Baeklang Dae to this gathering?”
Peng Sejin asked again, his face registering shock.
The Patriarch’s Hall of the Hebei Peng Clan.
Alongside Peng Sejin sat Gu Wang-pyo, and Yeo Un-hwi as well.
Peng Mugang, who had summoned all three leaders of the great Military Corps representing the Hebei Peng Clan, spoke slowly.
“Yes. They sent such a request.”
“From the Namgung Estate?”
As Peng Mugang nodded, Peng Sejin’s face showed complete bewilderment.
“What is the reason?”
For another Estate to interfere in which Military Corps would be brought to the Five Great Families Gathering, demanding one group be brought or barred—it was profoundly discourteous.
In fact, to his knowledge, such a thing had never occurred before.
But the one making such a request was none other than the Namgung Estate.
It was utterly unexpected.
This must be the will of Namgung Hwan, the Patriarch of the Namgung Estate, he who bears the title “Emperor’s Sword.”
Which made it all the stranger.
From what Peng Sejin understood, the Emperor’s Sword was a taciturn man, yet no one prized propriety more highly than he did.
So why would such a person deign to disregard courtesy and request that the Baeklang Dae be brought along?
“It is certainly an unusual matter.”
Gu Wang-pyo’s expression bore the same bewilderment as Peng Sejin’s.
No matter how recently the Baeklang Dae had made a name for itself, it was odd that they would be so eager to see them despite committing such an offense against propriety.
Of course, the request from the Namgung Estate did not wound his pride or kindle his anger.
He was different from those types of men who wallowed in authority and privilege, letting pride be their only weapon.
Rather, if he ended up staying behind this time instead of accompanying the Clan Patriarch to the gathering, he’d have spent all his time drinking, or… well.
In any case, watching Gu Wang-pyo and Peng Sejin, who still wore confused expressions, Peng Mugang offered a thin, bitter smile.
“It’s probably because of the Absolute Demon.”
“Ah. I see.”
Peng Sejin’s face cleared with understanding at last.
That was it.
If that were the reason, such a request would be entirely justified.
How could he have overlooked that?
But then—
“The Absolute Demon?”
What did that have to do with anything?
Gu Wang-pyo’s expression remained one of bewilderment.
This time, Peng Sejin answered for him.
“The Namgung Estate lost their youngest daughter to the Absolute Demon.”
“Good heavens!”
Along with the younger sister of the Sado League Master—both had died most horribly.
No one knew why those two women had been in the same place, but both perished at the Absolute Demon’s hands, and the Namgung Estate and Sado League had sworn in fury to tear the monster apart in the cruelest way possible.
Though the Absolute Demon had vanished completely afterward, thwarting their vengeance for years to come.
But now the Absolute Demon’s head had been severed by the Baeklang Dae.
It made sense that they would want to see the Baeklang Dae once.
Gu Wang-pyo too seemed to recall the matter then, offering a wry laugh.
“If there’s such a history between them, it does seem fitting that the Baeklang Dae represent us rather than the Baekmu Corps this time.”
Peng Mugang nodded at Gu Wang-pyo’s words.
He believed everyone would understand.
He himself had read the Emperor Sword Master’s intent and decided to do the same.
Still, he had summoned them here so that Gu Wang-pyo, Peng Sejin, and Yeo Un-hwi would first be made aware of these circumstances before proceeding.
Even so—
‘This is not what I intended.’
Peng Mugang clicked his tongue for another reason entirely.
The Baeklang Dae kept entangling itself in complicated affairs, which gave him no end of headaches.
How had things spiraled to this point?
Initially, his only intent had been to give Yeo Un-hwi a bit of a test.
But as matters grew ever larger, he had begun to wonder whether it was truly wise to keep Yeo Un-hwi as the Baeklang Dae’s Corps Leader indefinitely.
It seemed more and more that events beyond the capacity of a mere scholar-turned-commander were occurring.
Peng Mugang’s gaze turned toward Yeo Un-hwi.
Yeo Un-hwi smiled back at him knowingly.
‘Ridiculous!’
You’re giving me a headache. Why do those Baeklang Dae fools follow such a man so devotedly?
Peng Mugang found his son-in-law infuriating—the man who didn’t even know his own father-in-law’s mind and merely smiled smugly.
Yet he couldn’t replace the Baeklang Dae’s Corps Leader on the spot, so Peng Mugang decided to hold off on that matter for now.
And so it came to pass that not the Baekmu Corps but Yeo Un-hwi’s Baeklang Dae would accompany them to this Five Great Families Gathering.
‘Well, well.’
Even Yeo Un-hwi hadn’t anticipated that the Absolute Demon matter would extend this far, and so could only offer an awkward smile.
Time passed, and the day of the Five Great Families Gathering drew near.
***
“Well then, shall we begin today’s work!”
“Ooh-rah!”
Following the man who had risen to his feet, his subordinates shouted in unison.
On a mountain path near Anhui Province.
They were a fledgling bandit gang that had established their base on this road not long ago.
Of late, they had been making quite a handsome living from this stretch.
It was a veritable goldmine.
Plenty of places to hide, heavy traffic, and if luck held, they could pocket considerable sums.
Though they had only recently taken to banditry, if things continued as they were, it seemed they would soon grow their coffers, expand their numbers, hone their skills, and become a gang of some renown.
So today too, they set out earnestly upon their robberies.
They had been lying in wait at their usual spot for some time already.
“Boss! Someone’s coming!”
A group was approaching from far off, heading toward the road they controlled.
“Kekeke. Excellent.”
The bandit leader’s face broke into a satisfied smile.
At his small gesture, the bandits rolled up their sleeves and drew their weapons.
“As always, when I give the signal, surround them.”
“Yes!”
The bandit leader waited patiently for the distant group to draw near, and when they finally began to approach, he raised his hand to signal his subordinates.
Then—
“Huh?”
The bandit leader froze mid-gesture, his eyes suddenly wide.
He’d spotted a banner among that approaching group.
It was a banner he recognized—one he’d seen many times before.
“Leader?”
His men exchanged confused glances at his sudden strange behavior.
One of the subordinates beside him spoke up.
“Should we attack them?”
But the leader’s response was entirely different.
“Hide.”
“Sir?”
“Hide, damn it! Move, now!”
The leader gestured urgently to his men.
The bandit leader and his subordinates immediately flattened themselves against the ground, concealing their presence.
Their leader had gestured with such desperate urgency that they obeyed at once, yet his bewildered men whispered back to him in confusion.
“But—why? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t you see that banner? Don’t you?”
“A—a banner?”
“That’s right! If we so much as touch those people, we’re all dead men! Now shut up and stay still!”
As they held their breath, the group that had terrified their leader passed by and disappeared down the road.
After a long while, when the banner had vanished from sight, the men looked toward their leader as he finally lifted his head with a relieved sigh.
“But leader—what was that all about? What banner was that?”
“The Sichuan Tang Estate.”
“Sir?”
“I said, the Sichuan Tang Estate. Those bastards.”
“The—the Sichuan Tang Estate?”
“That’s right.”
Now that the leader’s words had sunk in, his men trembled violently.
“But—how are they here? They should be in Sichuan!”
“How should I know? The important thing is we nearly died.”
“True enough. You’re incredible, leader. If you hadn’t recognized that banner in time, we’d all be corpses by now.”
“Hmm? Is that so?”
“Absolutely. You’re remarkable, leader.”
“Heh heh heh. Yes, yes! Everyone, don’t lose heart. Let’s wait for our next customers.”
About two hours passed. Another group appeared. This spot was turning out to be quite the goldmine.
“Good, good. This time, let’s finish the job quickly!”
“Yes!”
“Now, when I give the signal, all of you—uh?”
The leader’s eyes went wide again.
“Wait—hold on!”
The leader’s face drained of color as he let out a shriek to his men.
“Ruuuuuun! Hiiiide!”
Two banners appeared in succession.
They were the banners of the Jeggal Estate and the Hwangbo Estate respectively.
Once again, the leader and his men threw themselves flat on the ground with all their might.
After they had all passed, the bandits lay there with vacant expressions, watching the two families disappear into the distance.
“Good heavens. What is happening?”
Why would these families be heading toward Anhui Province?
And this road here… The bandit leader murmured to himself in a daze.
“Is this really a goldmine, or is it the road to hell?”
If he wanted to live a normal life, he’d need to find a new territory.
He’d thought this spot was excellent. He’d been completely wrong.
This place was terrible. Absolutely terrible!
If he’d been careless even once, he’d have died multiple times over today alone.
But what in heaven’s name was about to unfold in Anhui Province?
The bandit leader gazed once more toward the direction where the Five Great Clans had vanished, then swallowed hard.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————