My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 153

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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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Episode 153. Cheon Gi-ja’s Arrangement
“This is the place. Tsk.”
A group of figures, radiating a savage and vicious aura, had just appeared before the main gate of the Peng Estate in Hebei.
One didn’t need any introduction to know what they were.
They were members of the Demonic Sect.
Yet before the gate, the warriors of the Peng Clan stood fully armed and ready for battle—a sight that made Gwak Un-do, the third son of the Sect Leader commanding this operation, click his tongue in appreciation.
“It seems word has already spread.”
“So what? In the end, they’ll all die anyway. Tsk.”
In truth, once they’d drawn close enough, there was little point in concealing themselves.
Who could possibly stop them?
Not without a united alliance formed in advance.
In the current Martial World, there was no single force capable of standing against those who had arrived here—save for the Murim League and the Sa-do Alliance.
Even the Shaolin and Wudang would struggle against them.
Yet the aura emanating from the warriors of the Peng Estate in Hebei was formidable in its own right.
Many of them were clearly tense.
But beneath that fear ran an unshakeable resolve—they would not yield this place to those invaders.
“The Demonic Sect.”
Peng Mugang murmured quietly.
They had arrived earlier than Jin So-baek had anticipated.
Had there been even a moment’s delay in evacuating the household, the situation would have turned dire.
Soon all the warriors of the Peng Clan stood arrayed in perfect readiness, facing the Demonic Sect.
Geom Ma, who now beheld the full strength of the Peng Estate in Hebei with his own eyes, let out a derisive snort.
They were already outnumbered from the start.
Naturally.
After all, even the martial units commanded by each of the Ten Demonic Elders had been mobilized.
Their numbers completely overwhelmed the Peng Clan.
The outcome was already decided before the battle even began.
Yet these fools still dared to light their eyes with hope. How pathetic.
“Do you truly believe you alone can stand against us? How laughable.”
“Hmph. By the way you speak, it seems you’ve only ever fought battles where victory was assured.”
At Geom Ma’s words, Peng Mugang stepped forward.
His mere presence caused the eyes of the Ten Demonic Elders, Geom Ma included, to widen slightly.
“I’ve heard much about you. So you are the Tyrant of Hebei?”
“I am. I am Peng Mugang, Clan Patriarch of the Peng Estate in Hebei.”
As Peng Mugang introduced himself, a savage aura radiated from his entire body.
It was indeed the bearing of one called the roaring tiger of Hebei.
Yet Geom Ma merely smiled with delight and drew his blade.
“I’ve long wanted to see how strong those Ten Great Masters are—the ones they arbitrarily named without including us Ten Demonic Elders. This works out perfectly. Today I shall test the true measure of the Tyrant of Hebei.”
“Master Geom Ma. This is problematic.”
“Hah! And here you are, already playing the master’s role. You haven’t even become the Young Sect Leader yet, so I’d rather you didn’t rush ahead so recklessly.”
“No, that’s not what I—”
Faced with Geom Ma’s growling intensity and furrowed brow, Gwak Un-do found himself in an awkward position.
“Tsk. Geom Ma, once that fellow sets his mind to something, he simply must do it or he’ll never be satisfied. Best to let him be.”
“Watch and learn, then. Keh-keh.”
“…Very well.”
As the other Ten Demonic Elders who had come with them—Jeok Ma and Naeng Ma—chuckled and spoke, Gwak Un-do finally bit his lip and stepped back.
‘Damn it. Every last one of them is just a stubborn old man doing as he pleases.’
Gwak Un-do was thoroughly exasperated.
No matter how renowned the Ten Demonic Elders were, his father had entrusted this operation directly to him.
That meant, whatever the circumstances, they ought to follow his command.
But here was Geom Ma, ignoring him entirely and unilaterally challenging the Peng Clan Patriarch to single combat.
He had every reason to be displeased.
But there was nothing he could do about it. Not yet.
It was true that among the surviving heirs, Gwak Un-do had the highest likelihood of becoming Young Sect Leader—yet it was not yet confirmed.
So the Ten Demonic Elders would hardly listen to someone in such an uncertain position.
‘When I become Young Sect Leader soon, and ultimately Sect Leader, we shall see, Geom Ma. I will make certain you regret both these words and these actions.’
Thus Gwak Un-do ground his teeth in silent fury.
“Well then, come. Let’s see what you’re made of!”
Geom Ma strode boldly forward.
Peng Mugang drew his blade in turn and met him face to face.
For Geom Ma, there was no reason to avoid a one-on-one duel in such circumstances.
A deep, resonant hum filled the air.
Geom Ma saw no need for preliminary testing—he drew upon his energy with full force from the start.
Instantly, a crimson aura blazed outward from his body in all directions.
In that same moment, his sword left afterimages as it hurtled toward Peng Mugang at blinding speed.
It was the Dead Proclamation Wind Light Sword Technique that Geom Ma took pride in.
“Everyone, fall back!”
Peng Mugang matched his intensity, deploying the Mixed Origin Thunder Lightning Blade—the signature technique of the Peng Clan.
The ground shattered with a deafening crack.
The earth split beneath the collision of two masters.
Their combined power was formidable beyond measure.
But in that instant, a shadow crossed Geom Ma’s face.
‘Curse it! How is this possible!’
From that single clash alone, he understood.
Peng Mugang stood a level above him.
Unknown to anyone else, Geom Ma’s jaw clenched at this bitter realization.
The roaring tiger indeed—Peng Mugang of the Tyrant’s Path, the Hebei legend.
With his blade drawn, his strength transcended even that of the Ten Great Masters, reaching an entirely different tier.
It was power befitting someone already eyeing the Twelve Supremes beyond the Ten Great Masters.
And yet—
“I’ll end you in a single strike!”
Though Peng Mugang’s martial prowess exceeded his expectations, Geom Ma could not retreat without losing face.
He gathered every ounce of his strength and drew forth his ultimate technique with savage intent.
The Burning Sky Lightning Sword.
A sword of tremendous speed shot toward Peng Mugang’s throat.
But—
“Hmph!”
Peng Mugang caught every movement without missing a single one.
He too drew forth his ultimate technique.
Ferocious Tiger Descends the Mountain.
His savage blade energy consumed Geom Ma’s Burning Sky Lightning Sword and moved to devour Geom Ma himself.
Seeing the blade energy bearing down on him, Geom Ma threw himself aside with every ounce of strength he possessed.
To survive.
“Damn it!”
Geom Ma, tumbling ungracefully across the ground, scrambled to his feet.
But Peng Mugang was already upon him, blade raised.
‘One down.’
If he could capture one of the Ten Demonic Elders this swiftly, it would be far from a loss.
He could not afford to squander this opportunity.
Then, at that moment—
“Wait!”
A new group appeared, not from where the Peng Clan and Demonic Sect forces were locked in battle, but from another direction entirely.
Peng Mugang’s eyes widened.
“How…?”
The faces of every Peng Clan warrior turned to stone.
Most of the Peng Clan’s household members—evacuated earlier—now appeared in the custody of a fresh contingent of Demonic Sect disciples.
Among them were Peng Seo-yeon and Yul-i.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now. How delightful.”
A tall, gaunt man grinned wickedly.
He was Chu Ma.
One of the Ten Demonic Elders present that day, he possessed a talent for pursuit and detection.
Before the main Demonic Sect force reached the Peng Estate in Hebei, he had separated and scouted escape routes from the estate.
As he suspected, the household members evacuated by the Peng Clan were moving along those very paths.
‘That vile creature!’
Peng Seo-yeon had charged at him, but even she lacked the strength to face one of the Ten Demonic Elders.
Once Peng Seo-yeon was subdued, the servants gave no further resistance and were brought before him without struggle.
Of course, an unforeseen complication had arisen in the interim.
A small child—seemingly the daughter of one of the women—had suddenly lunged at him and wielded some mysterious implement to activate a protective formation.
But it had not shielded all the servants.
Most critically, when the child saw her mother in danger, she had voluntarily dissolved the protective formation herself.
As it turned out, the power came from the necklace the child had been carrying.
‘A Qi Treasure that activates a protective formation? Could it be…?’
There was no doubt.
It was the Guardian Mirror, one of the Seven Great Divine Treasures.
Why it appeared as a necklace rather than a mirror, as it was known to be, he couldn’t say—but he felt as though he’d stumbled onto a windfall.
To suddenly obtain such a treasure.
Of course, he had no intention of telling the other Ten Demonic Elders about it.
It was his now.
Meanwhile, Yul-i sobbed anxiously in Peng Seo-yeon’s arms.
“You dog! How dare you lay hands on my granddaughter!”
Fury flashed in Peng Mugang’s eyes.
But Chu Ma simply laughed as if he’d just understood something.
“Ah, so she was your granddaughter after all. I wondered why something seemed odd. Imagine—a child carrying such a Qi Treasure.”
“What? What do you mean—”
A Qi Treasure?
Peng Mugang couldn’t make sense of what Chu Ma was saying.
“In any case, it would be wise not to move from where you stand. Unless you enjoy watching your family and servants die one by one.”
“You bastards…”
That was when it happened.
Crash!
Without warning, sword energy hurtled toward Peng Mugang.
Geom Ma, who had been lying unconscious, had launched an attack.
“Urgh!”
Peng Mugang staggered backward before collapsing to one knee.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Dark crimson blood streamed across his lips.
Though he’d managed to deflect it with Body Protection Qi, it hadn’t been enough.
Despite dominating their one-on-one duel, he wasn’t strong enough to absorb a direct strike like that.
Geom Ma was no pushover.
“Lay down your weapon. Unless you wish to die.”
“But you were planning to kill us all regardless, weren’t you?”
“Tsk, tsk. Exactly right. Well then, shall we begin? Kill them all.”
Chu Ma hadn’t actually brought the servants as hostages.
He’d simply brought them to slaughter them all.
Right before their eyes.
Soon Chu Ma and his subordinates raised their blades toward the servants.
Yul-i’s eyes reflected the flash of Chu Ma’s sword.
“No, stop!”
Peng Mugang and his warriors cried out desperately, their faces drained of color.
But it was already too late.
There seemed to be no one to block that blade.
And yet, in that moment.
Screech!
Without warning, sword energy erupted toward Chu Ma and all his men.
“What—what is this?”
They had no choice but to halt their strikes and fall back.
“Who, who are you?”
“How dare the Demonic Sect’s rabble oppress the Five Great Clans!”
A stern-faced man of middle years stepped into view.
Behind him followed swordsmen in martial robes embroidered with blue thread, their blades radiating an air of noble grace.
“You!”
Peng Mugang’s eyes widened in disbelief.
An achingly familiar face.
They were none other than Namgoong Hwan, the Emperor’s Sword, and the swordsmen of the Namgoong Clan.
They swiftly moved to protect the Peng Estate’s servants, sheltering them behind themselves.
“How did you…?”
Peng Mugang felt as though he were dreaming.
Then Namgoong Hwan, the Emperor’s Sword, turned toward Peng Mugang with a faint smile.
“A friend in crisis—how could I pretend not to know?”
Yet even so, Peng Mugang couldn’t begin to understand.
How could he possibly have known to come this early?
The messenger sent from the Peng Estate shouldn’t have arrived yet.
As if reading Peng Mugang’s thoughts, Namgoong Hwan continued.
“We weren’t the only ones to come.”
“What? What do you mean—”
“We’re here too!”
A hearty laugh rang out.
It was a voice very familiar to him.
Soon Hwangbo Gyun and the Iron Blood Heavenly Sword Brigade came into view.
Followed by the Dang Clan of Sichuan and the Jegal Clan.
“Looks like things went south from the start. Tsk tsk. I keep telling you, you can’t manage without me.”
Hwangbo Gyun approached Peng Mugang with an easy grin and laughed heartily.
“How in the world did this happen?”
“You want to know why I didn’t go back to the Hwangbo Clan after my dear granddaughter’s birthday? It was all because of that fellow, Cheon Gi-ja.”
On the day of Yul-i’s birthday, Cheon Gi-ja had quietly given Hwangbo Gyun a private warning.
It was that a great calamity would befall the Peng Estate in Hebei in the near future.
And he had even given the date and time.
So he told me to go ask the other Five Great Clans for help.
If this calamity could not be prevented, he said, the world would be unable to withstand the dragon’s wrath.
Only, the Peng Clan must not know of this warning.
If those suffering the calamity were to learn of it beforehand and try to avoid it, an even greater disaster would return upon them, he had said.
Hwangbo Gyun had not understood what he meant by the dragon’s wrath and all the rest, but he moved as Cheon Gi-ja instructed.
Very quietly. Without the world knowing.
And so all five of the Great Clans had gathered here today.
Now that they faced this moment together,
they could only marvel once more at Cheon Gi-ja’s mystical foresight.
When all Five Great Clans suddenly appeared, the Demonic Sect seemed greatly taken aback.
Above all, Chu Ma was furious that his plan had been disrupted.
“Hmph! So much for the Five Great Clans—just a rabble of nobodies! You think you alone can stop us?”
“We’ll see who the real nobodies are once we cross blades.”
“I’ll make you understand just how grave a mistake it was to touch the Five Great Clans!”
The master of the Dang Clan, Dang Jinwoo, and the patriarch of the Jegal Clan, Jegal Seung, who until now had remained silent, stepped forward with blazing eyes.
Behind them, the Red Moon Brigade, the pride of the Dang Clan, and the Youryong Sword Unit, called the blade of the Jegal Clan, drew their weapons.
“Kill them all! What are you waiting for!”
As Chu Ma was followed by Geom Ma’s roar, every member of the Demonic Sect in that place drew their blades savagely.
Behind them, Jeok Ma and Naeng Ma gathered their energy and prepared for battle.
But there was no need to fear.
United, the Five Great Clans were equally formidable.
Peng Mugang soon regained his composure and stood alongside his allies.
And he roared out like a tiger’s cry.
“Not a single member of the Demonic Sect in this place will leave alive!”
The scales that had tilted heavily to one side now suddenly balanced again.
Now the outcome was utterly impossible to predict.
And so the full-scale battle between the Five Great Clans and the Demonic Sect began.
***
At the same moment.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Something was hurtling through the high heavens at tremendous speed.
Leaving behind an afterimage like that of a dragon.
The speed was so great that a thunderous boom echoed behind its path as if thunder had struck.
That figure was none other than Yeo Un-hwi.
‘I must not be too late…’
Ever since hearing news of the Peng Clan from the Sa-do Alliance, he had been flying toward Hebei without rest.
It was a distance that normally would have taken much longer.
But with Yeo Un-hwi as he was now, a single day was enough.
No, he was pushing himself to arrive even faster than that.
So Hebei and the Peng Estate were now within reach.
Yet unease gnawed at him, and without thinking, Yeo Un-hwi bit his lip.
The faces of Yul-i, Peng Seo-yeon, and each member of the Peng household flashed through his mind.
‘Please. Please let no one have perished.’
Yet something about the creeping dread made Yeo Un-hwi push faster still.
His silhouette shot forward like lightning, quickening with each stride.

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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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